


The Power to Save the World

by Kyuketsuki_of_Gallifrey



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: BAMF!Lily, BAMF!Regulus, Bisexual!James, Canon?What'sCanon?, Compassionate!Remus, Do you love Regulus yet? Because I love Regulus, F/M, James is like a golden retriever and I love it, Love/Hate for Lily, M/M, Multi, MyPoorCinnamonRoll, OlderBrother!Sirius, POV Regulus Black, Peter has a personality! It's almost like he's a person or something, Regulus Black-centric, Regulus is a poor affection starved sod with a good heart, Still a slime ball traitor though, ThatsNotHowYouFlirtJames, There is just something about those Black boys..., Triple Threat Triad, everyone lives!, she gets better later in the series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-21
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:08:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26574280
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kyuketsuki_of_Gallifrey/pseuds/Kyuketsuki_of_Gallifrey
Summary: Young Regulus Black just wants to be accepted by his older brother and his friends. What happens next is shocking for everyone! What it leads to will have Regulus facing challenges he never thought possible to overcome. With some help from some very annoying Gryffindors, he can accomplish the impossible. What lies in store for the youngest Black?
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Regulus Black/James Potter, Regulus Black/James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Comments: 38
Kudos: 116





	1. How Gryffindors Party

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AlexClio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexClio/gifts).



> This is an adorable little idea sparked by a Tumblr post (isn't that how all best fics start?). It grew into so much more. I am excited to present you with a ship I had never considered before, but once I discovered it I needed to write it out. As of right now, I am considering making this into a series. Maybe not. We shall see. Either way, this is going to be a LONG fic, so strap in!
> 
> Warning: This is my second baby. My other WIP 'Finding A Way Home' takes priority, so updates for this fic will be slower. If you're patient and stick with me it will all be worth your time! I promise! 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this fic! If not, your loss. 
> 
> Happy reading!

“Take your brother with you!” Walburga’s shrill voice followed them down the stairs.

Sirius groaned but nodded his head at him in invitation.

“You’re serious?” Regulus tried to hide the desperate desire to hang out with his older brother and his group of friends.

“Might as well, don’t want to leave you here alone with that old bat.” His brother shrugged, pulling on his best dragon skin jacket. 

Regulus schooled his features into a mask of indifference. It was a skill all Blacks learned early on. They had to maintain the reputation of the ancient and most noble house of Black, after all. Deep inside, however, his heart soared. He had been so scared that being sorted into Slytherin like the rest of the family would turn Sirius against him. He had even asked the sorting hat to put him with Sirius. The hat was adamant that he would thrive in Slytherin though, so off he went to join his family in a long line of snakes. He had been touched by the fact that Sirius had still cheered for him anyway.

“You sure? I could take off and do my own thing.” He offered half-heartedly.

“Nah, it’s about time I showed my favorite brother how we Gryffindors party.” Sirius shot him a quick wink. 

“Now this I must see.” Regulus grinned, grabbing his own coat and following his brother out of the house. They exchanged insults and jokes made at the other’s expense as they walked. Regulus wondered idly where they were going, but he couldn’t be arsed to actually care. Eventually, they came to a stop in front of a muggle pub and Regulus arched a thin eyebrow at him.

“What? Is noble Regulus Black too good for a muggle pub?” Sirius taunted him.

“Course not.” He snorted a little too derisively. “Just surprised is all.”

“Well then, after you.” Sirius held the door open for him.

A rush of indecipherable chatter and loud music swelled up to meet them as they walked in. Without a word, Sirius dragged him to the back corner booth where James Potter, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew were laughing uproariously together. 

“Oi, Padfoot! About time you showed up! And bless! You brought little Reg along too!” James greeted them as they slid into the booth. Regulus prickled at being called little.

“I’m fourteen.” He groused.

He had never expected to be taken seriously. Yet James Potter was eyeing him speculatively as if considering his words. 

“Right you are,” He finally nodded, raising his hand to signal the wait staff for service.

It was a busy night but a server appeared almost immediately as if James had summoned her directly. 

“Can we get another round and two rounds each for the newcomers? They need to catch up.” He winked at her, handing over a crisp slip of colorful paper decorated with numbers and a picture of a woman in a tiara. When James caught him staring after it he winked at him. “Muggle money. You can’t buy drinks in a muggle bar with galleons.” 

“Why is it paper?” Regulus wrinkled his nose at the concept.

“It’s special paper. Here,” James fished out another rectangular strip and handed it over to him. 

Regulus took it eagerly, running his fingers over the glossy print. 

“It’s so smooth.” He marveled.

“Doesn’t feel like just any old scrap of parchment, now does it?” Remus leaned over, giving Regulus a warm smile.

“It’s fascinating.” He admitted, turning it over and studying the lettering.

When he looked up he found Sirius watching him with a wary expression.

“You’re reacting to all of this better than I thought you would.” He explained at Regulus’s inquiring look. “I was afraid our dear mother had brainwashed you and it would be too late.”

Regulus rolled his eyes at that.

“Come now, Sirius. Even you can’t be that daft. You don’t think I actually buy into any of that blood purity shite?”

“Really? You don’t?” He asked deadpan, clearly expecting to win this little argument quickly.

“No, I don’t. Just because I don’t go out of my way to upset our mother over it like you doesn’t mean I agree with it. One of us has to keep the peace.” 

“So what do you believe?” James asked, leaning closer. 

Regulus had to remind himself to breathe. Having James in such close proximity was making him hot around the collar.

“I believe the bloodlines rooted deep in magic should be respected. They are a part of our history and without them, the wizarding world would not be where it is today. I also believe that muggle-borns and half-bloods are every bit as valid as purebloods. If we don’t branch out and marry outside of the sacred twenty-eight then we are going to die out entirely in a few centuries. Blood status is not a sign of power by any means, so why continue to breed? Lily Evans is a muggle-born and she’s brighter than the lot of you put together.” He paused before adding thoughtfully “Well, perhaps excluding Remus.”

“Well put.” Remus smiled.

“I’ll drink to that!” James shot him a cheeky grin and Regulus returned it shyly.

Again, as if by magic, as soon as James said the word “drink” their drinks arrived. 

James and Sirius designated themselves as the drink regulators, passing out glasses and ordering more drinks for all of them. Regulus didn’t mind. He wouldn’t have known what to order at a muggle bar so he was more than happy to drink whatever James handed him. 

James handed him a lot of different drinks. They ranged from bitter straight whiskey to fruity cocktails, to something called an Irish Car Bomb. It wasn’t terribly long before the whole lot of them were pretty well sloshed. 

James also talked to him a lot. Regulus flushed under the attention but he loved it. Any time James’s attention was called away he found himself searching for ways to draw it back to him. Sirius had somehow ended up in Remus’s lap and they were snogging shamelessly in the booth. It was at this point that poor Peter excused himself, leaving for the night. Regulus wasn’t sure if he left out of disgust, jealously, or if he had simply had enough. 

That should have been his cue to stop drinking. He could normally read people effortlessly. But his head was pleasantly fuzzy, his body was warm and tingly and a handsome fifth year kept buying him drinks. 

Peter leaving suited Regulus just fine. With Remus and Sirius wrapped up in each other James’s attention was focused solely on him. They chatted about anything. Everything. Even subjects most wizards tended to shy away from. He was incredibly fascinating and he kept ruffling his messy hair, making him look like he had just gotten off his broom. It was something Regulus would have normally found annoying, but with James…. It was oddly attractive.

Regulus felt his cheeks flush at that thought. Blacks were simply not gay. It was all fine and well for Sirius, he was the Blacksheep of the family anyway. But he, Regulus, would be expected to marry well and carry on the family name. He couldn’t afford to think like that.

He was spared the question he could see burning in James’s eyes about his sudden blush by Remus and Sirius finally coming up for air.

“Hey, Prongs!” Remus giggled. “Prongs! What would you say is the hottest thing about Sirius? I think it’s his arrogant smirk. Or maybe his eyes?”

“His brother.” James said without missing a beat. His eyes hadn't left Regulus’s for an instant and Regulus internally cursed the fact that he blushed easily. He must look like a sodding tomato at this point.

“Wait, what?” Sirius tore his eyes away from Remus to stare at James incredulously. 

“I said what I said.” James grinned, still holding his gaze. 

He couldn’t look away.

Those brown eyes were like wells of honey and cinnamon; captivating and addictive. Regulus didn’t ever want to stop staring into them.

“You fancy my little brother?” Sirius sounded confused but Regulus didn’t bother to check. He was still enraptured in those damned eyes. 

“Yeah, I ‘reckon I do.” James winked at him and he stopped breathing.

“You hear that, Reg? James fancies you.” Remus guffawed. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I heard. I think I quite fancy him too.” He smiled, still not breaking eye contact.

In the next moment, James’s lips were on his in a searing kiss that made him feel as if his whole world had been set ablaze. Not bad as far as first kisses went.

“I don’t know if I should be retching or cheering.” Sirius slurred.

Without breaking their kiss they each offered him a middle finger salute before losing themselves in their own little bubble.   
***

Pounding. 

Endless throbbing pain.

Regulus’s first thought upon waking was that his head was about to explode. He groaned and sat up.

Bad move.

His head swam, causing it to pulsate even harder, making him dizzy. He cried out, clutching at his temples. Was he dying?

When he was finally able to open his eyes without seeing white spots he noticed a small silver vial and a note on his bedside table. He gingerly crawled to the side of his bed and swiped the note first.

Reg,  
Don’t tell Pads, he’d be rightly pissed if he knew, but I don’t want you suffering. I’m leaving you with my last vial of Hangover Potion. I know I fed you quite a few drinks last night and Pads let slip you’d never had more than a half a glass of wine before, so I figure you need it more than the rest of us! It will help. Trust me.  
Listen, I know we were all bladdered last night so I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable in any way. I had fun, but I understand if you didn’t. Either way bottoms up!   
James

Despite the hammering in his head Regulus smiled. Not only did James Potter have fun with him last night, but he was also worried that he didn’t? His heart kicked into overdrive, which only exacerbated the headache. He grimaced and grabbed for the vial, breaking the seal and swallowing it in one go. 

Cool, blessed relief flowed from his throbbing temples, across his skull, and down his spine. He could almost feel the potion eliminating the alcohol and hydrating his cells. Salazar bless James Potter. 

He couldn’t hide the grin that was slowly spreading across his face. He found he quite liked the way Gryffindors partied.


	2. Ancient and Most Noble House of Black

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summer is officially over and Regulus is excited to start his fourth year at Hogwarts. Some world-shattering news pushes Regulus in a direction that will change the course of his future. Will he survive the upcoming war?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! I hope you're enjoying this fic as much as I'm enjoying writing it! It is genuinely a lot of fun. As usual, a HUGE thank you to my favorite darling beta reader, AlexClio! She is a life saver and without her inane poking and prodding and (lets be honest here) meme sharing, this entire fic would not exist. 
> 
> Also I want to give a shout out to my friend Abby whose excitement for this fic spurred me to write two new chapters instead of one!

Regulus kept his eyes on the Black family tree tapestry while his mother droned on. They were almost free for a whole term and of course Sirius had to set her off the night before they left. He supposed it could be worse. At least she wasn’t throwing things or kicking him, or hurling random curses recklessly, not caring if she hit Regulus or not. Endless ranting and raving was mild compared to what she was capable of. 

"You're the good one, Reggie. I don't know where we went wrong with Sirius." She sighed, bringing her three hour long tangent to an end. "Are you all packed for Hogwarts?"

"Just about. I only have my toiletries left. I was planning on packing those in the morning." He tried to dodge her nails as she went to ruffle his hair. 

"That's a good boy. You'll make this family proud. Keep your nose out of trouble. You could be a prefect next year if you play your cards right." She ruffled his hair anyway, her sharp nails scraping painfully against his scalp. 

"Yes, mother." Regulus bowed slightly before beating a hasty retreat. 

He glared at the mounted elf heads on the wall and headed down to the kitchen for something to drink. Once he was the head of the house of Black he would do away with that particular tradition, among many others. He just had to play the role of the good son until that happened. Their mother was getting on in years and their father had recently passed. Normally Sirius, as the eldest son, would take over as the head. Both of his parents had made it clear, however, that when they passed they wanted the house and the position as head of Household to go to him. He was so close he could taste it.

When he entered the basement-kitchen his favorite house-elf, Kreacher, was bustling around making dinner.

“Good evening, Kreacher! How is your night going?” He smiled warmly at the elf.

“Kreacher is fine, Master Regulus. I is grateful that you is asking!” The elf’s ears wiggled happy, causing his fluffy white ear hairs to tremble in excitement. “Is you wanting a sampling of tomorrow night's supper, Master Regulus? Mistress is entertaining so Kreacher is getting everything ready.”

“No, thank you for offering. I just came down to grab some pumpkin juice.” He patted the elf on the head as he reached into the cold pantry to grab a chilled bottle. 

“If Master Regulus is needing anything, he will let Kreacher know?” The elf eyed him wearily. He hated it when Regulus did things for himself. This was slightly amusing because he often refused to help Sirius unless he was ordered to. 

“Of course I will Kreacher. Thank you, you’re such a good elf.” He grinned at him.

Kreacher’s whole posture changed as he was overcome with joy. Regulus felt immense satisfaction at that fact. It really didn’t take much to make the elf happy, so why not do so as often as possible? Especially when he was about to be left alone with no one but his dreadful mother as company until Christmas. 

“Oh thank you master Regulus!” Kreacher looked like he was about to cry. “Kreacher tries to adequately serve the most noble and most ancient house of Black!”

“Well, you’re doing a great job. Keep up the good work, yeah?” He called as he started climbing the endless steps to the third floor. He didn’t wait for Kreacher’s response. The elf would have him bantering back and forth with him all day if he could. 

“Psst, Reg!” A hoarse whisper caught his attention on the fourth floor landing and he peered into the darkness. Sirius was sitting there, pale and scared. Regulus was up the stairs in an instant, kneeling at his brother’s feet.

“Are you alright?” He asked worriedly. 

“She didn’t hurt you, did she?” Sirius whispered.

“Nah, just a lot of yelling and swearing. She didn’t have her wand in reach, so it wasn’t too bad.” Regulus assured him, finding it odd to be the one comforting Sirius for once. 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at her. She just makes me so angry!” Sirius was pulling at his long black hair in anguish.

“Hey, why don’t we move this to your room, yeah? Less chance of her finding us there.” Reg suggested softly. 

Sirius nodded and Regulus offered a hand to help him up. To his utter surprise, Sirius took it. They shuffled across the landing together and Sirius threw his door wide, nodded for Reg to proceed inside. 

He hadn’t been in Sirius’s room in years. Everything was so red. Sirius had certainly let his Gryffindor pride run wild. A second glance at his walls revealed that the few posters he had up were muggle. Regulus was impressed with Sirius’s daring. There were muggle women in swimsuits and diagrams of what Reg only knew was a motorcycle because Sirius wouldn’t shut up about wanting one. 

When Sirius shut the door behind him Reg pushed himself up on his bed, just like he had when he was younger. 

“Nice posters.” He commented as Sirius climbed up and settled cross-legged across from him.

“I like them.” He shrugged, avoiding eye contact.

“That’s what matters, yeah?” He asked, trying to coax a grin from him. When he merely nodded, still looking anywhere but at Regulus, he sighed.”Alright, out with it. The suspense is killing me. What’s going on?”

“I’m not coming back here once we leave tomorrow. Not for breaks. Not for the summer. Not ever. I never want to see this wretched place again. I need out.” Sirius closed his eyes and took a few calming breaths before meeting Regulus’s questioning gaze. “I can’t stand her, she can’t stand me- it will be better for everyone if I take off.”

“Do you really feel that way?” Reg asked sadly. 

There was hurt in Sirius’s eyes, but it was overpowered by a burning determination. 

“I can’t stay here.” His voice was strained. “My continued presence here is only hurting you. If it weren’t for me she wouldn’t hurt you, you’re her favorite.”

“She’ll just find other reasons.” Reg tried to swallow his emotions at Sirius’s news, but it was easier said than done. “You don’t have to go.”

“I do. I can’t take it here anymore. I’m miserable every second I’m here. This isn’t a home for me, Reg. It’s a prison. I just… I can’t do it anymore.”

“But where will you go?” Reg cursed the tears that were burning his eyes. Once they started falling he had no hope of stopping them.

“To live with James. His parents are alright. They offered to take me in. Living with my best friend? How could I turn that down, Reg? When living here is hell on earth?” 

“I don’t want you to leave.” The tears were flowing freely now. If his world wasn’t falling apart at the seams he might have cared. “I can’t do this without you.”

“Come with me then.” Sirius was suddenly full of fire, grabbing his shoulders and staring into his eyes. Grey held violet in an unbreakable stare. “Move in with the Potters with me. Leave this place behind. Staying won’t do you any favors. Come with me.”

“I can’t.” Reg’s heart broke at his own words. “I can’t leave Kreacher...and the Potters didn’t invite me, just you.”

“If they invite you, would you come?”

“I-”

“You can order Kreacher to keep himself safe before you leave. If Fleamont and Euphemia don’t mind you might even be able to take him with you. Just… come with me.” Sirius pleaded, his silver eyes filling with tears of their own.

Bollocks. 

“Alright.” He nodded. “Alright, I will. I’ll come with you. If the Potters will have me.”

Suddenly they were both laughing and crying, holding on to the other’s shoulder as they reveled in the relief of not having to be without the other. There was a certain bond between brothers. One that was almost impossible to break. 

Regulus never wanted his bond with Sirius to break. 

His older brother meant everything to him. 

Regulus wasn’t sure at what point they nodded off, but they were both still on top of Sirius’s bedspread when an angry pounding on the door jolted them awake. Sirius’s arm was slung across his torso protectively and Reg smiled at the gesture.

“Get up you worthless arse. Train leaves in an hour.” Their mother’s venomous voice came through the door. 

“Does she always wake you up like that?” Reg yawned as Sirius threw something heavy at the door.

“Every. Bloody. Day.” He groaned, pulling his pillow over his face. “How does she usually wake you up? ‘Oh darling dearest, if it pleases you, could you please get up?’.” Sirius mocked.

“No, just knocks on my door and tells me to get out of bed and start my day. If she’s feeling feisty she’ll call me a lazy arse. No real put downs or swearing, though, so at least there’s that.” He groaned as he sat up and stretched his stiff muscles. His shoulders let out a satisfying crack. “Those don’t usually start till after breakfast.”

“Wait, she swears at you?”

“Yeah.”

“And puts you down?”

“Yeah.”

“But… you’re her favorite….” 

“Doesn’t really mean much, just that she occasionally praises me along with the insults.” He shrugged. “You know you’re not worthless, right?”

It took Sirius a moment to respond and Reg twisted around to get a proper look at him.

“You’re not. Don’t let her get to you. Look at all of your friends! And McGonagall loves you-”

“She gives me detention all the time!” 

“Sure, but if I tried half the shite you’ve pulled, I’d be expelled in a heartbeat.” Reg laughed. “Besides. Mr and Mrs Potter love you, Remus loves you, James loves you and I love you. Mother is just an idiot. Don’t listen to her. She’s dead wrong, alright?”

“Yeah, alright.” Sirius smirked before throwing his pillow at Reg’s head. “Now get out of my room, you filthy Slytherin.”

“Gladly. This room is much too Gryffindor for my tastes.” He shot back, tossing the pillow back to him.

They both laughed and Regulus felt like everything just might be ok.

He got ready quickly, tossing the last of his things in his trunk before shrinking it and putting it in his pocket. He gave his room one last sweeping glance for anything he might have forgotten. His eyes landed on a scrap of parchment on his bedside table. He had almost forgotten James’s note! He made his way over to the far wall and picked it up with an odd sense of relief. 

He realized belatedly that he probably should have owled him back. His mother hadn’t really given him the chance though. Shortly after drinking the hangover potion she had been banging on his door, demanding he help her with something in the family room. 

He slid the note into his back pocket and made his way downstairs. Kreacher was waiting in the entry hall for him with a packed lunch and a bag full of treats.

“Kreacher wishes Master Regulus a good term.” The elf said sadly.

“Thank you, Kreacher. That was very thoughtful of you.” He smiled, patting the elf on the shoulder. 

Kreacher looked like he was about to cry. Regulus didn’t really blame him. He would probably cry too if he was stuck all alone with their mother. He knelt down so he was closer to the elf’s level and looked him in the eye.

“You look after yourself, alright? That’s an order. Don’t let mother bully you too much. I’ll be back for Christmas. 

“Kreacher will, Master Regulus. Thank you.” He bowed deeply before disapparating with a loud crack. 

Sirius came thundering down the stairs as if on cue, dragging his full sized trunk behind him. The portraits of their ancestors grumbled at the racket and Reg smiled. Leave it to Sirius to take any opportunity to upset the family, even if it meant doing something the hard way. 

“Here, Kreacher made us lunch.” He handed Sirius one of the bags in lieu of greeting.

“You mean he made you lunch.” Sirius grumbled, taking the bag regardless. 

“Finally ready, are we?” Their mother made a grand entrance, sweeping into the entrance hall with her robes billowing behind her.

“Yes, mother.” Regulus sighed. 

Sirius stayed silent. 

“At least pretend you’re a competent wizard and shrink your trunk. I am not having you drag that ghastly thing all over Merlin’s green earth.” She snapped at him. 

He shot Reg a meaningful look as obeyed without a word. Reg gave a curt nod and followed their mother out onto the front step. As soon as the door was closed behind them she gripped them both painfully by their upper arms and apparated them onto platform 9¾.


	3. Peter's tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus is a little lost. So many things are happening so fast. All he knows for certain is that James Potter is turning his world upside down. What's more is Regulus doesn't seem to mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a lot of fun to write!   
> Awkward teenagers confessing their feelings? Yes!   
> Mr and Mrs Potter embarrassing the hell out of James? Yes!  
> Giving you feels for Peter Pettigrew? Oh absolutely.  
> As always a massive shout out to my beta bestie, the DARLING that made this entire fic possible, the wonderfully amazing person who loves torturing the cinnamon rolls just as much as I do: AlexClio💙

Sirius took off right away, making a bee-line for the Potters. Reg wanted to follow but their mother wouldn’t release his arm, digging her sharp nails into his flesh. 

“You be good this year, Reggie. Bring honor to the noble house of Black.” She demanded in a low voice.

“Yes, mother.” his eyes were wide in alarm.

“I trust you to not let our ancestors down.” She gave him a cold, hard stare until he gulped and nodded. “There’s a good lad. Off you go.”

When she finally released him he speed-walked toward Sirius and the Potters, not really caring where he went as long as it wasn’t anywhere near his mother.

“Oi! Reg, get over here!” Sirius waved him over. 

“Hey, Reg!” James beamed. His smile faded from his lips when he saw Regulus rubbing his arm subconsciously. 

When Regulus noticed James’s distraction he stopped immediately, putting both arms behind his back.

“Hello! I trust you had a pleasant summer?” He asked absentmindedly. 

“I did.” James cocked his head to the side, eyeing him speculatively. “I want to introduce you to my parents. I don’t believe you’ve officially met. Mom, Dad, this is Regulus Black, Sirius’s brother. Reg, this is my mom and dad.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, sir,” Regulus bowed at the waist respectfully “ma’am.”

“Isn’t he so cute, Monty?” Euphemia chuckled. 

“There’s no need to be so formal, son.” Fleamont grinned, indulging his wife with a curt nod. “Sirius here tells me you don’t want to stay at home anymore as well. Is this true?”

“Yes, sir. Erm… I mean, yes.” Regulus blushed.

“What’s wrong with your arm?” James interjected, clearly impatient to get to the bottom of his curiosity.

“Nothing.” He lied quickly.

“Knock it off Reg, it was mom, wasn’t it? Just now?” Sirius frowned. Regulus couldn’t bring himself to confirm or deny it out loud so he merely nodded. “What happened?” 

“Oh, you know. The usual. Make our ancestors proud, bring honor to the ancient house of Black, don’t be a fuck up-” He grumbled, then blushed even harder, looking over at the adults. “I apologize for my crude language. I forgot myself.”

“That was exactly what we needed to hear, actually.” Fleamont waved him off. “Besides, James says worse on the daily. It isn’t anything we haven’t heard before.”

“You will always be welcome in our home, Regulus.” Euphemia reached out and gently stroked his hair. 

Regulus stiffened at first, a knee jerk reaction. When no pain accompanied the touch he seemed to melt entirely. His posture relaxed, he let his arms fall loosely to his side and he tilted his head into her touch. It felt so… nice.

“I-” He choked on his words and had to clear his throat. “I appreciate your generosity. Thank you.”

“Oh, you poor dear.” Euphemia tutted before yanking him into a hug that Regulus returned, even if it was a beat too late. “You don’t ever have to go back to that wretched woman, alright?”

“Merlin, what did she do to you?” James demanded, grabbing Reg’s arm and pulling him out of his mother’s embrace.

Regulus winced but didn’t protest as James studied the gashes his mother’s sharp nails had left. 

“It’s nothing, I’ll be fine.” He responded automatically and James hissed angrily. When one of the cuts started bleeding he sighed. “Alright, it isn’t nothing. But I will be fine, I promise.”

“Like hell, Episkey!” James drew his wand angrily and snarled a quick healing spell. 

“You’re so cute when you’re over protective, James.” Fleamont teased, tousling his hair. 

“Da-ad.” He whined.

“What? It’s sweet!” Fleamont protested with a laugh.

“Young love is so adorable.” Euphemia winked at him.

“Mom!” James screeched, turning beet red.

“Young what?!” Regulus’s voice jumped an octave.

Sirius and Fleamont both broke into gales of laughter at the blushing pair.

“Alright you two, that’s enough. You sound like a pair of hyenas.” Euphemia scolded “The train is leaving in three minutes, you boys better go find yourself a compartment before they’re all taken.”

“Right you are, mother. See you at Christmas!” James gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before positively sprinting away, cheeks still a glowing red.

“Are you both coming to Christmas?” Fleamont inquired.

“I have to go back.” Regulus sighed. “For Kreacher. I can’t leave such a sweet elf to my mother’s mercy all alone.”

“Take him with you, if you can.” Euphemia smiled.

“You wouldn’t mind?” Sirius arched an eyebrow at them.

“Of course not. Our home is much too big. It will be nice to have it full.” Fleamont assured him.

“Thank you.” Regulus beamed,

“No problem at all, dear. Now off with the both of you! You don’t want to miss the train!” Euphemia shooed them. 

The shrill whistle of the scarlet steam engine had them racing off together with hurried goodbyes called over their shoulders. As soon as they were both safely on board the train started moving and they both let out a relieved chuckle. 

“I’d say we made it just in time, Reg.” Sirius grinned. “You sitting with us or your snakes?”

“I have a whole year in the common room with my snakes to look forward to. I think it’s high time I hung around with a couple of idiotic lions.” He smirked back.

“Excellent choice. Follow me.” Sirius led them all the way down the car to the very last compartment. “We always take this one.”

James, Remus, and Peter were already playing a game of exploding snap but they all looked up when the door slid open. 

“Finally.” Remus’s face lit up as he caught sight of Sirius. “I was starting to worry you’d missed the train.”

“Close call, as always. More fun that way.” Sirius collapsed onto the seat next to Remus.

Regulus automatically favored the seat next to James, who was still slightly pink in the face.

“Sorry about my mother- doesn’t know when to shut up.” He glared out the window instead of looking at Regulus.

“Oh, I don’t know about that. I quite liked everything she had to say.” Reg felt his face get hot again so he seized the opportunity to study the others.

Peter was rather small in stature with unruly straw colored hair and watery blue eyes. His face was kind of pinched, reminding Regulus of some kind of rodent. Remus was thin and covered in scars, but somehow oddly beautiful. His sandy hair hung in his brilliantly hazel eyes and he was currently sporting the smile he saved especially for Sirius. Sirius was wearing a similar grin as they laced their fingers together. They had both inherited their father’s thick black hair, but Sirius had their mother’s steel-grey eyes while he took their father’s vibrant violet. Sirius wore his hair longer. It was just past shoulder length now, and Regulus thought it suited him. He kept his own hair much shorter, but it still fell into his eyes from time to time. 

“Really?” James’s voice was soft “Everything?”

“Yeah.” Regulus turned back towards him and found himself trapped in those honeysuckle eyes.

“I just thought… when you never owled…” James was devastatingly cute when he was insecure.

“Ah, shite. I meant to. My mother just…” He trailed off helplessly. 

“Right.” James nodded curtly. “Of course, I figured it might be something like that.”

His bravado was also strangely attractive and Reg couldn’t stop the goofy smile that curled his lips.

“I really did have fun with you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” 

“Oh just shag and get on with it.” Sirius griped without taking his eyes off Remus.

James and Regulus both flushed again.

“Oi, shut it Pads. No comments from the peanut gallery.” James quipped.

“Just calling it like I see it.” Sirius snipped back unabashed. 

“Ignore him. That’s what I do when he’s being a royal pain in my arse.” Regulus laughed.

“Oi! You’re the pain in the arse!” Sirius cried in outrage.

“You’re both right pains.” Remus chuckled. “It must run in the family.”

“You’re supposed to be on my side, Moony.” Sirius grumbled. 

“Just calling it like I see it.” He retorted, hiding a smirk.

Sirius growled before pouncing on his boyfriend and smothering him in kisses. With his brother adequately distracted, Reg turned his attention back to James.

“Now, where were we?”

“Oh, erm… I can’t really remember.” James looked down. “I’ve got something for you, actually.” He bent over to grab his book bag and pulled out something heavy. “I thought you might… appreciate it.”

Regulus took the heavy flat object from him and flipped it over, revealing a picture frame filled with muggle money layered together to cover the whole canvas. The frame felt like oak and the money glinted underneath the glass. Reg felt a lump form in his throat.

“You did this for me?” His voice cracked embarrassingly as he looked up at James.

“Yeah, well. You seemed really interested in it back at the bar, so I thought you’d like to keep some….” He trailed off as he scratched at the back of his head nervously.

“It’s wonderful, thank you.” He beamed.

“You really like it? It’s not stupid or-”

Regulus cut off the rest of his sentence with a quick kiss. James blinked rapidly in surprise then started grinning like a fool.

“I really like it,” He insisted. “And I also kind of really like you, too.”

“Brilliant.” James was practically glowing.

“Yeah?” Regulus hedged uncertainly.

“Well, in case my mother’s comment wasn’t enough to tip you off, I kind of really like you too.”

“O-oh. Fantastic.” He stammered. 

They shared an awkward glance and James leaned in for another kiss. Regulus’s heart picked up, beating in overtime as they drew closer. This was their first kiss after they made their feelings explicitly clear. It was a huge milestone.

Right before their lips touched the compartment door slammed open.

“Remus John Lupin! Where have you been? We have prefect duties, you arse!” Lily Evans was a vision of red-haired fury as Sirius and Remus pulled apart.

“Merlin's beard, I completely forgot!” Remus cried. He jumped up which dumped a very peeved Sirius unceremoniously from his lap. 

“You’ve spent this whole time canoodling with you boyfriend, and you just forgot?” She challenged. She might have been half a foot shorter than Remus, but she towered with rage.

“It was a gross negligence of responsibility and I assure you it won’t happen again.” He said calmly, joining Lily in the doorway.

“Oi, Evans! Nice to see you too.” James smirked at her. She rolled her eyes at him and turned back to Remus.

“See that it doesn’t. Now, come on.” She took Remus by the wrist and dragged him out of the compartment and down the corridor before anyone else could blink. 

“Well that’s a load of bollocks.” Sirius huffed, dusting off his trousers and retaking his seat. “I was looking forward to a good snog before we got to school."

“Prefects only have a meeting that lasts for a couple of hours or so. They get told their new common room passwords and updated on any policy changes and the like.” Peter chimed in in a small voice. “Then they just have to patrol the corridors from time to time.”

“Oh, well that’s not too bad then. I can still get my snogging in after their bloody meeting.” Sirius scowled. “So, Prongs! What changes are you planning on making to the quidditch lineup now that you’re captain?” 

“Why, you looking to join the team? I don’t think you have the dedication, Pads.” James teased, shifting his attention to his best friend.

They fell into an obviously familiar banter and Regulus had to push away the resentment for Lily Evans that was trying to worm its way into his heart. He didn’t need James to pay attention to him all day. It was fine that she interrupted their first real kiss. Sirius had every right to claim his best friend’s attention. It didn’t mean he was any less important. At least, that’s what he was trying to convince himself of.

“They’re always like this.” Peter flashed him a shy smile. "Once they get going it's like they forget anyone else is in the room."

"Sounds about right." Reg returned his smile hesitantly. “How did you know all that about prefects?”

“A lot of my older siblings were prefects. They would complain about the meetings together.” He shrugged.

“Really? How many siblings do you have?”

“Seven older brothers and two younger sisters.” Peter grimaced as if the thought pained him.

“That’s one hell of a family.” Reg let out a low whistle.

“Yeah, it’s easy to get forgotten about when there’s ten of us running around.” Peter stared forlornly out at the countryside streaking by their window. 

“Are they all blood related?” Regulus hoped it wasn’t a rude question. It was simply insane to think of anyone having ten kids.

“Most of them are half siblings. My father kept having affairs. If the mistress produced a male heir, he brought them home to live with us so that the Pettigrew family name never dies out. I’m the product of mistress number thirteen.” He said bitterly. 

“You’re not livestock, Peter” Regulus frowned. 

“Try telling the house mother that.” He rolled his eyes as if to convey he wasn’t bothered by it, but Reg didn’t believe it for a second.

“Alright, what’s her name? I’ll write to her right now.” Regulus burned with rage at how poor Peter was treated at home.

“What?”

“She treats you like an animal? I’ll give her a piece of my mind. You don’t deserve that.”

“Oh, you don’t need to bother. It won’t do a lick of good. She barely remembers my name. Calls me Paul half the time. She probably won’t even know who you’re talking about.”

“What about your dad?”

“An abusive drunk.” He shrugged matter of factly. “It’s a blessing when he stays out all night with another woman. Even the house mom is relieved at this point. We all just keep our fingers crossed that whoever he’s laying with won’t produce another male heir. We don’t have enough room.” 

“Why don’t you leave? Run away? Go live with the Potters?”

“My little sisters. In a house full of volatile older brothers and an abusive dad, they don’t have anyone else to look after them. And the house mother would tear heaven and hell apart if they came up missing. She doesn’t give a rats ass about the rest of us, but she dotes on the girls. She just can’t control all of the boys, not that she even tries.” 

"Well shite, Peter. I had no idea." Regulus wanted to comfort him but was at a loss as to how.

"It's alright. I don't really like to talk about it."

"Understandable. I'm sorry if I'm asking too many questions. I guess I just don't know that much about you."

"I don't mind, it's nice when someone takes an interest." Peter's expression was heartbreakingly innocent. 

"Does your dad beat on all of your brothers, or just you?" Reg asked after an uncomfortable silence settled over them.

"It's more like he stumbles in rightly pissed at the end of night and swings at anything within reach. If you steer clear of him you're fairly safe. Unless you upset him or the house mother. Then he gives you a beatdown reserved especially for you." 

“Sounds a lot like our father, may he rest in eternal torment.” Reg sat back in his seat. He had been unconsciously leaning forward during Peter’s tale. James tossed him a quick smile in between the insults he was hurling at Sirius and his heart fluttered. 

“Wish I was that lucky.” Peter laughed bitterly.

“I could probably arrange it.” Reg frowned thoughtfully. “My house elf knows some pretty shady people.”

The entire compartment burst into laughter at that statement and the two separate conversations melded into one. 

When Remus returned, Sirius finally got his pre-term snog while the others ignored them, trading chocolate frog cards and playing games. 

Regulus never made the conscious decision to ride with James all the way to the castle, and yet he found himself enclosed in a carriage with all four of the marauders. It was a tight fit, considering there were only four seats, but they made it work. Regulus was halfway in James’s lap, which suited him just fine, and Remus was almost entirely in Sirius’s. The only thing stopping him from being completely in his boyfriend's lap was the height of the carriage. Remus was much too tall. 

He was a little surprised at how well he got on with the Gryffindors. They were a lot more fun than any of his friends in Slytherin, not that he would ever admit so out loud. Now, more than ever, he wished the sorting hat had listened to him and put him in Gryffindor with Sirius and the others. 

They were still joking as they all climbed the front steps to the castle, coming to a pause in the entrance hall.

“Welcome home, boys!” Sirius smirked.

“It’s good to be back.” Peter agreed. 

By unspoken agreement they all trudged into the great hall together. The ceiling was glittering with the starry night and millions of floating candles. No matter how long he attended Hogwarts, Regulus would never get sick of the sight. 

The Slytherin table was the first one inside of the doorway and Reg tried not to be disappointed that he had to leave James (and the others) so soon.

“Catch you after the feast, yeah?” James flashed him a crooked grin.

“Absolutely.” Regulus melted.

He expected for the Gryffindors to troop off to the opposite side of the room without another thought, so he turned to search for his friends. James grabbed his hand, pulling him back around so they were face to face. He simply stared at him for a heart stopping moment before planting a gentle kiss on his lips. 

Fire.

Blazing, burning, passionate fire. 

It was a quick thing, over almost as soon as it had begun, but it was enough. Regulus could feel a scorching desire start to consume him. Kissing James Potter was   
unquestionably his new favorite thing to do. 

“Don't go skulking off to the dungeons after the feast, alright?” James winked at him.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He hoped his smile was just as sly and attractive as James’s was.

“I’ve got something I want to ask you.”


	4. Of happiness and complications

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James is making Regulus feel things he has never felt before and the Slytherins are upset/ How will Regulus handle it?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter starts out pretty cute. We meet a *very* important character based on my beta bestie, all-around amazing person AlexClio! I must pay homage to the most amazing beta reader of all time. I hope you guys enjoy it! It might be a hot minute before I upload another chapter because I have been neglecting my first baby for this and Finding a Way Home needs my attention. But fear not! I have BIG plans for this SERIES (that's right, it's going to be a series) so don't give up on me! Stick with me and I promise you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams!

“And just where the bloody hell have you been?!” Regulus’s best friend demanded as he sank down next to her. 

Alexandra Nott was a force to be reckoned with if one dared to upset her. 

“I sat with my brother and his friends.” He shrugged.

She turned her sharp gaze on him, piercing eyes scrunched up in distaste. They were the color of whiskey in the firelight and were normally very pretty, but her expression was borderline murderous. Apparently traveling to Hogwarts with a bunch of Gryffindors was upsetting.

“I was worried sick about you, you arse.” She growled. “Thought you must have missed the train or something.”

“I nearly did, that’s why I just joined Sirius. We both got on at the last second.” He winced as she slapped him across the back of his head.

“Next time come find me so I know you’re alright.” She huffed. “Now onto more important issues: did Potter just kiss you?!”

“Saw that, did you?” He grinned.

“The whole sodding school saw that Reg.” she shot him an exasperated look. 

“Really?” He tried to not look pleased at that fact. 

Apparently, he did not succeed. He was saved from her scathing response, however, by Professor McGonagall leading in a line of first-years to be sorted. As was tradition, all of the Slytherins placed bets on which person would go to which house. Lexi almost always got them right, so Reg usually placed his bet with whatever she chose. 

He cheered for the new Slytherins and applauded the other houses in equal measure as the line of terrified children dwindled down. As usual, Lexi and Reg made a killing off the betting pool. They didn’t have long to gloat before Dumbledore addressed the whole school and the rest of the hall fell silent.

It was interesting how time chose to move slowly when you wanted to speed it up, and it flew whenever you wanted to slow it down. Regulus felt like Dumbledore’s welcome speech took eons. At long last, the man fell blessedly silent and food appeared on the tables, causing the tables to groan beneath the sudden weight. 

“So, you and Potter?” Lexi said a little too nonchalantly as soon as the great hall erupted into chaos once more.

“Yeah. Yeah, I think so.” Reg didn’t even try to hide his goofy grin.

“He’s a Gryffindor!” Lexi hissed, not missing a beat. “Are you crazy?”

“He’s also the first person besides you who doesn’t just see me as a Black.” He shrugged, reaching for some steak and potatoes to pile on his plate.

“Well, if that’s the case, I’d say your prospects look….black.” She wiggled her eyebrows. 

“Ugh, Lexi your puns are terrible. Literally terrible.” He groaned but smiled. 

“You love me and you know it. Prat.” She sniffed, grabbing an impressive portion of carbonara spaghetti and heaping copious amounts of parmesan cheese on top. 

“Think you got enough cheese, there Nott?” another Slytherin in their year teased her.

“Sod off, Avery! There is no such thing as too much cheese!” She rolled her eyes at him.

“Trust me, Tyler. Don’t get between Lexi and her cheese. It won’t end well for you.” Reg laughed.

“If only we were allowed a glass of Merlot to go with this meal.” Lexi sighed before attacking her plate with enthusiasm. 

“What in Merlin’s name is a merlot ?” Tyler arched an eyebrow at her. 

“Only the most delicious type of red wine, you uncultured swine.” She teased.

“I could do with some fire whiskey after seeing Potter stick his tongue down Regulus's throat.” Josiah Sewlyn piped up.

“Oi, not even! It was maybe a two second kiss- three tops!” Reg bantered.

“Whatever it was, it was disgusting.” Yelena Parkinson scoffed.

All of the fourth years burst into laughter at that. Slytherins were catty sometimes, but they were fiercely loyal to their own and usually had a good sense of humor. Reg was a little surprised by how much he had missed them.

The conversation flowed easily, with only a few more jokes made at his expense, and before he knew it the feast was over. He looked over at Lexi just as she shoved one last piece of marzipan into her mouth before the desserts vanished entirely from their plates. 

“What?” She asked with an innocent expression, mouth still full of her favorite sweet.

“You’re just funny.” He grinned. 

Dumbledore called the great hall to order, rattling off the usual dither about not going into the Forbidden Forest and the ban on fanged whizbees. He’d heard it too many times before for it to truly hold his attention. His thoughts and gaze strayed towards the Gryffindor table. 

James was already staring at him. When he caught his eye James winked mischievously. Regulus flushed and shot him a shy smile. He got so caught up in their wordless flirtation that he jumped when the scraping of benches against the stone floor and excited chatter filled the air. 

“Oh, come on.” Lexi huffed, following his gaze. “You’re not coming back to the common room yet, are you?”

“No, James wanted to ask me something.” He frowned slightly, suddenly nervous.

“Probably to suck his-”

“Lex!” He hissed as he felt his cheeks start to burn. 

“Whatever. I’ll catch you later.” She sighed, punching his arm before dashing off. Lexi wasn't much for physical affection. Her punching his arm was akin to a hug for normal people and he smiled after her retreating form.

“Oh- hey! Rosier! What’s the new password?” He grabbed his favorite prefect’s robe before he could escape.

“Vim Magicam.” Rosier sighed, removing his robe from Regulus’s grip. “Try not to forget it this year, yeah? I can only pretend to not notice the scent of fire whiskey so many times.” 

“You got it.” Reg gave a mock salute before racing off to find James. He found him lounging against the banister at the bottom of the marble staircase. 

“Hey, you.” James’s face brightened when he caught sight of Regulus. 

“Hey, you.” Reg smiled back. He had to remind himself to breathe.

“Enjoy the feast?” James hedged.

“Yeah, you?” Regulus broke eye contact, looking down at his shoes instead. They were getting rather tight. He would have to order new ones soon.

“Yeah.” James sounded nervous.

“You wanted to ask me something?” He chanced a glance up and got dazzled by the intensity of James’s gaze.

“Erm, yeah. I-” He hesitated, looked around quickly, then grabbed Regulus by the wrist and dragged him off to a little alcove that provided some privacy. Regulus looked at him expectantly and James seemed to steel himself, taking a deep bath. “I was wondering if you’d like to go to Hogsmeade with me? Remus let slip that the first trip will be on the 17th.”

“What, like a date? Like a proper, actual date?” Reg felt the need to qualify.

“Yeah.” James’s expression was hopeful.

“Would that mean we’re… dating?” He questioned.

“Yeah?” James sounded less certain.

“Like, you’d be my boyfriend?” It was almost unbelievable. An insanely attractive fifth year Quidditch all-star wanted to be with him? 

“Erm, that’s the idea, yeah.” James looked slightly crestfallen.

“Brilliant.” Regulus could feel another stupid grin spreading across his face but he couldn’t stop it. “Yeah, I’d love to go to Hogsmeade with you.” 

“Oh, I- wait, really?” James’s head snapped up and his eyes shone.

“Yeah. Does that… erm, does that mean we’re...dating now?” 

“I’d like that.” James grinned. “But only if that’s what you-”

Reg cut him off with his lips crashing onto his. James responded almost immediately and Regulus melted. Snogging him was even better sober, he decided. Instead of tasting like alcohol James tasted like oranges and a mid-summers afternoon. There was a trace of the treacle tart he had eaten earlier and something else that was completely indescribable. Regulus was hopelessly hooked.

When they finally broke apart the majority of the student body had already disappeared. James looked around and then broke into a fit of laughter. Regulus turned to see why and doubled over himself. Sirius, Remus, and Peter were over by the marble staircase, watching them. Remus looked amused, Peter looked confused and Sirius looked horror-struck. It was quite the sight.

“I think your lions are waiting for you.” He snickered. “And Sirius doesn't look pleased.” 

“Ah, he’ll come around.” James ruffled his hair then glanced back at him. “See you tomorrow, gorgeous?”

“You can count on it.” Regulus winked for the first time in his life. James shot him his favorite lopsided smile and then placed a quick kiss on his forehead before walking back towards his friends. 

"Have a good night, gorgeous!" He called before racing up the stairs, elbowing Sirius in the gut while the others laughed. 

Regulus watched them until they were out of sight. Did that really just happen? 

He had called him gorgeous. 

Regulus turned and began his descent into the dungeons but he felt like he was walking on air. He almost walked right past the common room entrance and he laughed at himself.

“Vim magicam.” He snorted at the blank stretch of wall. 

It rearranged itself quickly to reveal a handsome room bathed in green and silver. The windows looking out into the lake were black, but the fire was lit and there were older students milling about. He got a few nasty looks as he walked through, looking for a flash of familiar brown hair. He spotted her in an alcove close to the dormitory stairs.

“What did I miss?” He grinned as he sat down next to her on the window seat.

“A lot of people are pissed. Travers told everyone he saw you throw yourself at Potter and start snogging in the middle of the entrance hall.” She glared at him.

“It wasn’t in the middle of the entrance hall! We were in that little alcove by the top of the stairs that lead to the potions dungeons.” He huffed defensively. 

“What, are you two…. together now?” She crinkled her nose in distaste.

“He just asked me, yeah,” His earlier smile returned.

“You just painted a target on your back, you know that right?” She eyed him wearily. 

“How do you mean?”

“The poisonous snakes aren’t happy you’re running with sodding lions.” She nodded over to a group of fifth years, their heads bent together as they whispered. Every once in awhile they would shoot dark looks in their direction.

“What, Snape and his gang? They’re just mad because they hate James.” He waved it off.

“Not just them.” She tilted her head towards the older students and his good mood diminished a little. They weren’t whispering. They were just staring angrily at him. 

“Those are the ones that want to join up with that Lord Voldemort fellow, yeah? The crazed blood purists?” He frowned.

“That would be them.” Lexi said cooly, studying her nails.

“Sod what they think.” He shrugged. “I never liked them anyway.”

“What’s gotten into you?” She snapped. “You used to care. That’s my brother over there.”

“Family isn’t everything.” He muttered darkly, flashes of his parents abusing both him and Sirius stealing what was left of his joy.

“I don’t even know how to respond to that.” Lexi sighed, standing up. “I’m going to bed. Hopefully, you’ve got your head out of your arse by morning.”

He watched her go, unsure of what the real problem was. She had never espoused their families beliefs. It was one of the reasons they became friends in the first place. They both hated that blood purity crap. He shook his head and followed her lead, disappearing into the fourth year dorms before Snape and his cronies decided to get physical with him for snogging their arch-nemesis. 

“What’s up, lion lover?” Tyler threw a pillow at him as soon as he shut the door.

“Regulus and Potter sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” Josiah sang before collapsing in a fit of laughter.

“Alright, I get it.” He sighed, tossing Tyler his pillow back before collapsing onto his own bed. 

“What’s the matter, Black? Lion got you by the tail?” Colton Burke sniggered from his bed in the corner.

“More like the venomous morons in the upper years.” He grimaced, pulling his trunk out of his pocket and unshrinking it at the foot of his bed.

“Fuck ‘em. Slytherins wouldn’t dare hurt their own.” Tyler flopped on his bed with an exaggerated sigh.

“You didn’t see the looks they gave me,” Reg said darkly, pushing himself back against his headboard. “They looked positively murderous.”

“Does the idiotic Gryffindor make you happy?” Tyler frowned over at him.

Regulus didn’t even try to fight the grin that found its way back onto his lips as he thought about James.

“He does, yeah. Don’t know why, but he does.”

“That’s all that matters then.” Josiah shrugged.

“I give it a month before you get fed up with his reckless antics.” Colton snorted.

“Are you joking? I ‘reckon they’ll last six months before calling it quits.” Josiah cried in disbelief.

“Nah, I’ll give them a year to get sick of each other.” Tyler smirked.

“Oh, you’re on!” Colton seemed excited by the prospect. “What are we betting?”

“A galleon ought to do it.” Josiah looked delighted. 

“Can we stop betting on my love life?” Regulus cut in half-heartedly.

“Never.” all three of them chorused together.


	5. Tokens of His Affection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus wakes up to a delightful surprise and James shows him how Gryffindors date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love love love how cute and awkward Jagulus is! I hope you do too. I'm sorry if these first few chapters feel like just a lot of fluff; it is building up to something big! I promise! As always, a massive THANK YOU to my soul mate, darling beta bestie, and all-around phenomenal person AlexClio! Not going to lie, I even gave myself feels in this chapter. If you love it, hit that kudos button and leave a comment! If you hate it, leave constructive criticism! Have any adorable or funny Jagulus moments you'd love to see played out? Leave them below! I'll try and work as many into this fic as possible!   
> Happy reading!

“Morning gorgeous!” a chipper voice caused Regulus to jerk awake. He blinked slowly, trying to force himself to wake up. When his eyes came into focus he almost fainted in shock. 

James Potter was in his bed.

In his Slytherin dorm. 

Regulus rubbed his eyes and looked again. James's torso looked like it was floating in mid-air. 

"How are you here?" He asked, pushing his covers off so he could get closer.

"Snuck in as some snakes were leaving." James laughed, shrugging off a silvery fabric. Suddenly his whole body appeared and Regulus stared.

"You've got an invisibility cloak?" His voice cracked embarrassingly on the last word and he blushed.

"What? Oh, yeah. Family heirloom." James said distractedly. "It's alright that I'm in here, yeah?"

"I mean, I don't think the other Slytherins or the staff would be too pleased if they knew, but I don't mind." Regulus's heart kicked into overdrive as James blushed deliciously. 

“Well, that’s alright then.” He grinned. “I figured I’d come to pick you up for breakfast. I was planning on waiting outside of your common room, but I had my cloak on me and the wall stays open for a bit after someone passes through and it was too tempting not to sneak in…” he picked at his nails, avoiding eye contact. “I had to wait until the others left for breakfast. I’m a little surprised you aren’t up yet.”

“I had trouble sleeping.” Reg yawned, stretching his stiff muscles. 

“Everything alright?” James seemed worried and it was Regulus’s turn to blush. 

He didn’t want to get into the thoughts that had been keeping him up last night. It was much too early.

“Brilliant. Just couldn’t fall asleep.” He shrugged, also suddenly interested in his hands. 

“That does happen sometimes.” James’s voice trailed off so Regulus looked over at him. He was staring at the framed muggle money hung proudly above his bed. “You put it up. I didn’t think you would…”

“Why not? I love it.”

“I just thought the other Slytherins might give you a hard time about it.”

“So? They’re none too pleased I’m dating a Gryffindor either. Who cares what they think?” Regulus rolled his eyes.

“I don’t want to cause you any trouble…” James brow furrowed.

“Shut up.” Reg nudged him with his shoulder. “You’re not the trouble, they are.”

“You sure?” 

“Course I’m sure. Sod those radicals. My friends don’t seem to have a problem with it. In fact, they've placed bets on how long we will last. Tyler's betting a year." He chuckled.

"We will just have to make sure we last longer than that then." James seemed undisturbed about people betting on his love life. 

"I certainly hope so." Reg sighed. Before he could do much else, James was kissing him.

These were not the gentle, chaste kisses from the great hall or the train. It was more akin to their first kiss back at the bar and it set Regulus's world on fire, just like it had that night. All too soon, James was pulling back and shooting him a mischievous grin.

“Come on, we don’t want to waste all of breakfast in bed! Let's get a move on, you lazy lump!” He jumped up and started rummaging through his trunk, tossing clean clothes at him until he had a full uniform. 

Regulus laughed, quickly exchanging his pajamas for the school clothes his boyfriend was throwing at him. When he got to his Slytherin tie, James batted his hands away. He gave in with good grace, letting James’s nimble fingers tie it into the perfect Windsor knot. When he stepped back Regulus looked down. James had added a pin.

A Gryffindor pin.

“Red and gold really aren’t my colors.” He joked, fingering the engraved lion on the crest.

“I disagree.” James frowned thoughtfully. “I think the red compliments your eyes.”

“Thank you.” He blushed, letting the pin drop.

“Will you wear it? For me?” James was suddenly insecure again. “Consider it a… token of my affection.” 

The enormity of what that little pin meant finally sunk in. James was committing himself to him. It was a tradition for purebloods to ply their beloved with tokens of their affections. These tokens were usually expensive jewelry, cufflinks, or clothing. It was a very formal and very public way to declare your commitment to someone. Most couples wouldn’t exchange tokens of affection unless they planned to marry. It was such an outdated pureblood courting ritual, Regulus was shocked that a progressive family like the Potters still taught it in their home.

“I would be honored to receive your token, Mr. Potter.” Regulus attempted to sound casual but failed miserably. “If I have to wear a Gryffindor pin, you have to wear a Slytherin pin.” He dug through his trunk to find the green and silver crest.

“Ah, that’s fair I suppose.” James pretended to pout as Regulus fixed the pin onto his red and gold tie. 

“Consider this a token of my affection.” His hands were shaking slightly as he straightened James’s collar before stepping back. 

“I would be delighted to, Mr. Black.” James gave a spaztic bow and Regulus couldn’t help but laugh.

“Not exactly traditional tokens, by any means, but it works.” He eyed his Slytherin pin speculatively. The green and silver looked surprisingly good with red and gold. “It looks good on you.” 

“Yours looks better.” James winked, reaching down and grabbing a wicker basket Regulus hadn’t noticed before. “Now, we have some breakfast to eat.” 

“Why do I have the feeling you’re not taking me to the Great Hall?” Regulus grinned, putting on his shoes. It took a little extra effort because they were getting too small and he made a mental note to order new ones later. 

“Because I’m not. Just trust me, alright?” James held out his free hand and Regulus took it without hesitation.

“Alright.”

James pulled his invisibility cloak over both of them before leading Regulus out of the dorms, through the common room, and out into the stone corridor. The hallway was blessedly empty, and without missing a beat, James slipped the cloak off of them and into his pocket. He flashed Reg his favorite lopsided grin as they raced up the stairs, past the great hall, and out onto the sunlit grounds. 

The air was crisp with the promise of winter and the leaves of the forbidden forest were a sea of bright colors. Regulus could see his breath, but he didn’t mind as James pulled him down towards the lake. 

“I figured it might be nice to have breakfast with a view.” He said, setting them down on a flat rock that overlooked the lake with Hogwarts castle standing majestically in the background. 

“Sounds perfect. What are we having?” Regulus stretched out next to James as he dug through the picnic basket.

“Hot cider,” he handed him a large jug that was steaming in the cold air “bacon buttys, and some fresh fruit.”

“Perfect.” Regulus grinned, pouring them each a mug of cider and taking the sandwich James was offering.

“I told Sirius we were officially dating last night.” James blurted without preamble.

“Oh? How did he take it?” Regulus held his breath. Sirius’s approval meant more to him than he would ever be willing to admit out loud. 

“Pretty well, actually. He gave me the usual big brother speech, told me not to hurt you and all that. I thought he might be upset, but he seemed pretty alright with it.”

“Really?” Regulus asked dubiously. “He was totally fine with it?”

“Seemed to be, yeah.” James shrugged. 

“He didn’t seem very supportive when we parted ways last night.” Regulus hedged.

“I think he was more in shock than anything. He didn’t realize we weren’t just flirting to piss him off.” James gazed out at the water with a slightly amused expression. 

Regulus allowed himself a few moments to commit the sight to memory. James was lean but muscular. He could see the slight bulge of his biceps underneath his white button-up. He had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, exposing his bronze skin. Unruly black hair sticking up in every direction offset his sparkling hazel eyes. His glasses had slipped down the bridge of his nose but he didn’t bother to correct them, staring into the distance over the rims. He was absolutely stunning. 

“What did Remus think?” Reg asked belatedly.

“He thinks it’s adorable.” James glanced over at him and rolled his eyes. “Apparently he was worried that I’d never find someone I actually wanted to be with.” 

“I thought you fancied Evans.” Reg tried not to feel jealous. He was having a romantic breakfast picnic with him after all, not Evans.

“She’s feisty, and she’s clever. If she gave me the time of day, maybe. She’s a little stuck up, though. And she hangs around with Snivellus.” James stuck his tongue out in disgust as if even saying the nickname left a bad taste in his mouth. 

“She is gorgeous though.” He couldn’t keep the hint of melancholy out of his voice.

“So are you.” James shrugged. “And you don’t hang around with death eaters. So that’s a major plus in your favor.”

“Do you really think I’m gorgeous?” He asked breathlessly. 

He wasn’t stupid. He knew he was attractive enough, he was a Black. He had always felt, however, that Sirius had gotten the majority of their mother’s good looks. He looked too much like their father.

“Absolutely.” James caught and held his gaze. 

Regulus wondered idly if the power of those captivating, honey-colored eyes would ever lessen. He certainly hoped it wouldn’t.

“You’re beautiful.” He whispered before he could stop himself. He felt his cheeks grow hot but he couldn’t bear to break eye contact. 

“No one has ever called me that before, thank you.” James’s lips curled into a crooked smile and his eyes ignited with happiness. 

“That is a travesty.” Regulus smiled weakly. “You are hands down the most beautiful man I have ever seen, and I live with Sirius.”

“Wow. Now that is the highest of praise.” James turned as red as his tie, a wide goofy grin stretching across his elegant face.

Regulus couldn’t help himself. He leaned over and captured those tantalizing lips in a searing kiss, their picnic breakfast abandoned and forgotten. 

They spent the rest of the morning joking and kissing and throwing bits of fruit out to the giant squid. When the warning bell sounded in the distance they both jumped up in a panic.

“Shite, we lost track of time!” Regulus cried, diving for his school bag. He sighed in relief when he saw that he had all of the books he needed. When he went to sling it over his shoulder, however, two strong hands stopped him.

“James, I have to get to class!” He whined. 

“Of course you do, and I’m going to carry your books for you. Now come on, we’re going to be late.” he retorted, throwing both of their book bags over his shoulder and taking Regulus's hand. 

They ran full speed together, still laughing. Regulus couldn’t remember a time where he had ever felt this happy. When they reached the entrance hall Regulus held his hand out for his bag, but James shook his head.

“I’m walking you all the way to Charms.” He insisted, pulling him up the stairs.

“Don’t you have Transfiguration?” Regulus’s brow furrowed in confusion.

“I do.”

“Charms is on almost the complete opposite side of the castle! You’ll never make it in time. You’re going to get detention for being late!” Reg protested as James kept moving towards the Charms corridor.

“I can’t let my boyfriend walk himself to class. What kind of prat would do that?” James gave him his best innocent expression and Regulus just shook his head, a foolish grin plastered all over his face. “Besides, McGonagall loves me. I might be able to talk her into having mercy on me since it’s the first day.”

“Better you than I. That woman terrifies me.”

“Ah, she’s not so bad. I’d rather do detention for her than Slughorn. McGonagall will have you write lines or clean her classroom. Your head of house tortures you with stories of his glory days and bragging about all of his connections.” James grimaced.

“You’re just jealous because Evans is in his little club and you’re not.” Reg teased.

“I am no such thing!” James cried in outrage. “I heard his parties are incredibly dull.”

“The parties are actually pretty great. They’re an excellent place to network and forge connections. The dinners and lunches, however, are exceedingly dull.” Reg smirked over at him.

“You’re part of the Slug Club?” James arched his eyebrow.

“Apparently I have an affinity for complicated magic. My top marks and my family status turned his head, I suppose.” He shrugged as they approached the Charms classroom. 

“Glad someone sees how special you are.” James tilted his head thoughtfully.

Regulus was only mildly surprised when James walked him all the way to his seat, setting his book bag down on top of the desk next to Lexi.

“Nott.” He nodded cordially to her.

“Potter.” She glared back. 

“See you after class, gorgeous.” James winked before spinning on his heel and rushing out. 

“You skipped breakfast to canoodle with Potter?” Lexi hissed as Regulus sat down.

“No, he brought me breakfast and we ate by the lake.” He sighed. “No canoodling.” 

“What, so you get a boyfriend and suddenly I’m chopped liver?” he could hear the hurt behind her clipped tone despite her bravado.

“Of course not, you’re my best friend. Nothing will ever change that.” he assured her as the final bell rang. James was going to be so late. 

“Are you going to disappear for lunch too?” she deflected the attempt to assuage her.

“No, I’m not. I’m going to sit next to my best friend just like I always do.” he rolled his eyes.

“You better.” She said stonily as Professor Flitwick called the class to order.


	6. Incels and Snitches

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some of the Slytherins aren't happy about Regulu's new relationship. Lexi freaks out and can't express her anger adequately in English so she starts shouting in French. A chaser beats a seeker in a Seeker's game (twice) and Peter plots to use his photography skills for evil.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here is a nice little break from all of the fluff. Well, a short break. Well, when I say a short break I mean a very small one. What can I say? Jagulus is just too cute not to write fluff. We have a couple more 'nobody cares about your backstory' chapters to go and then the action will pick up. I promise! I have such wonderful plans for this fic. If you've stuck with me this long, thank you. If you're new, Welcome! As always, a loving shout out to my best friend and wonderful beta reader, AlexClio! If you like what you're reading, hit that kudos button and leave a comment! If you don't like it, feel free to give constructive criticism! If you have any cute Jagulus (or WolfStar!) moments you'd love to see written, leave them in the comments and I will do my best to work them into the story.  
> Happy reading!

“Oi! Black!”

Regulus drew in a deep breath before turning around. He would recognize that sardonic voice anywhere. 

“What do you want, Snape?” he asked resignedly. 

“Is that a Gryffindor pin?” Snape demanded, gesturing to his tie.

“Well spotted. Ten points to Slytherin for your astute observational skills.” He tried not to sound too insulting. Snape could be deadly accurate with a hex.

“How incredibly sweet.” He sneered, stepping into Regulus’s personal space. “I noticed James was wearing a Slytherin pin. Are they supposed to be your tokens?”

“What’s it to you?” Regulus tried to sound bored rather than irritated. Perhaps if Snape didn’t think he was getting to him he would leave him alone.

“It just proves how pathetic the both of you are.” His black hair, which normally hung in curtains that framed his pallid face, was pulled back with a hair clip. He must have just come from potions. That would explain his sour mood, James had potions with Snape. 

“Even if they are, we’re still not half as pathetic as you.” He rolled his eyes.

“Listen here, Black.” Snape snarled. “Do you think it’s cute to be consorting with Gryffindors and blood traitors?” 

“Don’t you hang around Evans? She’s a Gryffindor and a muggleborn to boot.” Reg glared back at him. He refused to flinch when Snape shoved him into the closest wall.

“Do you think you’re funny?” Snape drew his wand. He held it against Regulus’s throat, putting enough pressure on it to cut into his windpipe. “Has running with Potter and his little friends addled your mind?”

“Apparently running with Rowle and the Carrows has addled yours.” Regulus spat, struggling not to gasp for breath. He couldn’t afford to look weak. “Do you think I’m scared of you?”

“You should be.” Snape’s black eyes were filled with rage.

“Not bloody likely.” Reg seethed. He was starting to see red.

“Get away from him.” a deep, dangerous voice sounded behind Snape. 

When he glanced over his shoulder Regulus took advantage of the distraction. In one fell swoop, he brought his knee up into Snape's groin and yanked his wand out of his grasp. Without pausing to see who had given him the edge he needed, he backed Snape up against the opposite wall and held his own wand against his throat.

“You’re going to leave me alone. Who I choose to spend time with and what bloody accessories I wear is no business of yours.” He growled venomously. Snape stared back at him in pure loathing. The death glower cheered him just a bit. If Snape hated him then he must be doing something right. “When I let you go, you’re going to take your wand and sod off, yeah?”

Snape made no move to either agree or disagree so Regulus put more pressure on the wand, just as he had done to him.

“Just because I run with lions doesn’t mean I’m not a snake. I could kill you right now, right here. Is that what you want?” He dropped his voice low, staring unblinkingly into the greasy git’s eyes until he shook his head. He released him quickly, letting him stumble to catch his balance. When Snape straightened up again Regulus held up his wand, then chucked it as far down the corridor as he could before Snape could grab it. “Go fetch.”

A couple of people burst into staggered laughter and Regulus was surprised to find they had a bit of an audience. 

“I was ready to hex him into next week for messing with you.” James’s familiar voice had him spinning around. He was leaning against the wall Snape had had him pinned against with a wry smile on his face. “Turns out I didn’t need to.”

“I’m normally pretty good at taking care of myself.” He grinned. “All I needed was a small distraction. I take it that was you?”

“Yeah.” James pushed off the wall and sauntered over to him.

“Cheers.”

“Happy to be of service.” James winked, pulling him against his side and wrapping an arm around his waist. “You were bloody brilliant.”

“You think?” He asked bemusedly. 

“Are you alright, Regulus?” Peter pushed his way past the bystanders, stepping up close to inspect where Snape’s wand had cut into his neck. “It’s bruising.”

“Yeah, I’m alright. It will take more than that to bother me.” Reg gave him a friendly smile and Peter returned it without hesitation. He looked like he was about to say something more but a loud voice interrupted him.

“You absolute arse!” an angry shout announced Lexi’s arrival and Regulus winced. Of course she had seen that. He supposed it was for the best, better she find out now than have to hear about it from someone else. 

“Saw that, did you?” He tried to say nonchalantly. 

“You could have gotten hurt! You could have- he could have killed you! You. Sodding. Moron!” She cried, running up to him and punching him repeatedly. 

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing?!” James cried angrily.

“It’s fine, darling. It’s how she shows love.” Regulus waved him off quickly, grabbing Lexi’s wrists so she would stop trying to hit every available square inch of his body. “He could have, but he didn’t. I’m fine. Everything is going to be ok.”

“You idiot! It’s not going to be fine! He’s going to send the whole lot of those bastards after you now! You humiliated him!” She fought back, trying to break free.

“What else was I supposed to do? Let him hex me?” Regulus challenged.

She started shouting again in rapid-fire French. He couldn’t understand much, she was talking much too fast, but he did catch a few of her favorite curse words here and there.

“Sh, sh, sh, Lexi. It’s fine. I’m fine. You’re fine. Everything is fine, alright? No harm done-”

“Yet.” She snapped.

“Yet.” He allowed. “You know as well as I do that if they try to get me I’ll get them first. We will deal with them when the time comes. No use borrowing worry from tomorrow when everything is fine in the present.” He ducked his head until he made eye contact. “He won’t bother me again any time soon. I made sure of that.”

“He will kill you.” She said weakly, the fight dying from her whiskey-colored eyes. 

“Not if I stop him first, yeah?” He raised his eyebrows when she didn’t immediately answer. Finally, she nodded so he let her go and braced for the punch he knew was coming. She hit him in the shoulder hard enough to knock him off balance for a second and he shot her a cheeky grin. “Catch up with you in the common room later?”

“You better.” She sniffed. “Or I might just kill you before Snape does.”

“Fair enough.” 

“Potter. Black.” She nodded curtly at each of them as she passed.”Lupin. Pettigrew.” 

“Catch you later, Nott.” James gave her a mock salute while Peter gave her a spasmodic wave.

“Miss Nott.” Remus bowed his head respectfully and Lexi rolled her eyes.

“Nott.” Sirius frowned at her. She flipped the lot of them off as she stalked down the corridor towards the dungeons.

“She’s…. feisty.” James was watching her retreating form with a troubled expression. 

“She prefers the word passionate.” Reg chuckled as they all started walking. “She’s good people, though. Best friend I’ve ever had.”

“I look forward to getting to know her better.” James seemed to shake himself out of his train of thought, lacing their fingers together. “So, darling, eh?”

“What?” Regulus flushed.

“You called me darling.” He smirked. 

“No I didn’t.” Regulus felt mortified. You don’t call a boy darling. 

“You did, we all heard you.” Peter snorted.

“I think it’s cute. It’s the first thing you’ve called me besides James.” He touched his index finger to Regulus’s nose, causing him to blush a deeper red.

“It just kind of slipped out.” He muttered.

“I kind of liked it.” James countered. 

“I am not calling you darling.” He scoffed.

“What are you going to call me, then?” James challenged playfully.

“Anything else.”

“Like what?” He pressed.

“Oh, I don’t know… my dearest? My universe? My sun, moon, and stars? Take your pick.”

“My universe! I quite like the sound of that.” James smirked. 

“Of course you do.” Regulus rolled his eyes, but his goofy grin gave him away.

“You two are disgusting.” Sirius griped. “James- please, you have to see it.”

“Oi, leave my universe out of this.” Regulus laughed.

“Yeah, I definitely like the sound of that.” James beamed, giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

“Alright, fine. Be gross.” Sirius huffed.

“I think it’s sweet. Let them be happy, love.” Remus scolded. 

“You and Remus were worse when you first got together.” Peter rolled his eyes at Sirius. 

“Yeah, Pads. You were way worse.” James smirked, fist-bumping Peter as Sirius’s scowl deepened.

“Whatever. Think what you want. I actually needed to talk to Reg for a quick minute.” Sirius stopped walking and the four of them had to double back.

“I thought we were going to the library!” Remus sounded so disappointed Regulus had to bite back a laugh.

“I’ll meet you there in a bit.” Sirius assured him, pulling him in for a quick kiss.

“And you think we’re disgusting.” James teased.

“Off with you now, all three of you. We have brotherly business to discuss.” Sirius shooed them away.

“Meet me on the Quidditch pitch when you’re done, gorgeous?” James called as Peter dragged him along with them.

“Anything for you, my universe!” Regulus replied happily.

The way James’s face lit up when he said that sent a thrill through Regulus and it made him strangely desperate to see it again. 

“Alright, alright. Enough.” Sirius growled. 

“What’s up?” He eyed his brother warily.

“About you and James… dating,” Sirius made a face.

“He said you were fine with it.” Regulus’s giddiness melted away in an instant. 

“I won’t stand in the way of your happiness, or James’s for that matter.” Sirius frowned. “He’s like a brother to me, and you actually are my brother.”

“Sirius, thank you. You don’t-”

“Let me finish.” he cut him off. “I want you both to be happy, alright? But if you ever dare to hurt him or break his heart, I will personally ensure your life is a living hell. Got it?”

“Of course, I would never do anything to hurt him-”

“You better not, or I’ll hex you so badly even our mother wouldn’t recognize you.” Sirius was wearing his Black family no-nonsense face and Regulus gulped.

“Damn! Why did James get an easy pass?”

“He’s a sensitive boy.” Sirius shrugged. “You’re tougher.”

“Fair enough.” Regulus yielded. “You’re really okay with us, though?”

“I haven’t seen either of you this happy before. It’s a right pain in my arse, and I do NOT enjoy seeing my baby brother sucking face with my best friend, but… you have my blessing. Just be careful, alright?” Sirius looked like the admission pained him. It probably did.

“Yeah, of course. Thank you.” Regulus felt a wave of affection for Sirius wash over him and he smiled. 

“Good. Now we should both probably get going. The boyfriends await.” Sirius sighed resignedly, tousling his hair. 

“Have fun in the library.” 

“Have fun on the Quidditch pitch.” Sirius turned without another word and started in the direction that Remus had gone.

“Oi! Sirius!” Regulus called after him. 

“What?” Sirius turned around but kept walking backward.

“You look great today!” 

It worked. All traces of resentment or annoyance vanished from his face and he broke out into a bright grin. Sirius was intense, but he was also vain. A good compliment could win you back into his good graces if given properly.

“You too, Reg. It’s nice to see you smile.” Sirius waved before turning back around and dashing off. 

Now that he mentioned it, he had been smiling a lot recently. More than he could ever remember smiling in his life. A crystal clear memory of him and Sirius hiding underneath the kitchen table, eating cakes, and giggling together when they were both very young flashed in his mind. It was possibly his favorite memory of growing up with Sirius before their father had declared them old enough to beat. Before their mother started putting them down and making them feel worthless and unwanted. Back when everything was good. 

Then Sirius turned five and, for whatever reason, hell came crashing into their home. When Orion died, Regulus had foolishly thought they would be free. That their mother would go back to being loving and nurturing now that she was rid of the miserable bastard. She got worse instead, taking up the mantle of doling out beatings and leaving scars. 

He found himself at the Quidditch pitch sooner than he expected and scolded himself for getting so wrapped up in unhappy memories. It did not do well to cry over spilled potion, after all. What's done is done and cannot be undone. 

James was flying lazy circles around the pitch while Peter watched and cheered from the stands. Regulus rushed into the Slytherin locker rooms to grab his racing broom and throw on his Quidditch gear. He was soon up in the air, streaking after James. 

“Have a nice brotherly chat?” James called when he finally caught up.

“More or less.” He shrugged. 

“Do you want to play a seeker’s game?” James grinned, holding up a practice snitch. 

“You’re on, chaser extraordinaire.” Regulus laughed. 

“Ready, gorgeous?” James challenged.

“Ready to stomp your arse, my universe.” Reg arched an eyebrow cooly. 

“We’ll see about that.” James scoffed, letting the snitch go. 

They waited the obligatory twenty seconds before racing off like canons. Seeker's games were much easier and a lot more fun than a regular Quidditch match. There weren’t any bludgers or other teammates to dodge and you didn’t have to keep an eye on the score to ensure a victory. The snitch was the only thing that mattered. 

Regulus went high, his eyes scanning the pitch below for any hint of gold. James was flying low, looking up into the sky. As a seeker, Regulus felt he had the advantage. A flash caught his eye and he didn’t think, he just dove towards it. James took off in the same direction and Regulus swore. He was closer. 

Regulus pushed his broom faster, racing towards the ground at breakneck speed. James was already there, reaching out towards the flying orb with a coprophagous grin on his face. At the last moment, the snitch evaded him. It flew higher, blowing past Regulus who swerved and gave chase. The time it took to turn lost him the speed advantage and suddenly he and James were neck and neck, batting the other’s hand out of the way as they tried to grab the snitch. 

They were coming up to the stands and both boys had to swerve to avoid crashing into it. The distraction caused them both to lose sight of the snitch and they went back to circling the pitch and ragging on each other. They both came close to catching it on numerous occasions, but it slipped through their grasp every time. It made for one hell of a seeker’s game. 

“If Slytherin’s seeker can’t out seek the Gryffindor chaser the Quidditch cup is as good as ours!” James goaded. 

“You wish.” Regulus shot back, going into a steep dive. 

He had used dives as a distraction tactic often enough for James not to take the bait. Only it wasn’t bait this time. The snitch was flying close to the ground. By the time James realized it wasn’t a trick it was too late, Regulus had too much of a head start. He pulled out of the dive just in time, his toes skimming the grass as he snatched the snitch out of the air. He let out a triumphant whoop and did a victory lap, flying circles around James before they both landed. 

“Looks like it will be a Slytherin victory this year.” He said smugly, holding up the practice snitch in evidence. Its wings fluttered half-heartedly. 

“Not bad, gorgeous.” James grinned. “Bet you can’t do it again, though.” 

“Oh, you are so on!” Regulus kicked off the ground hard, rising quickly. He hadn’t had this much fun in years.

They ended up playing 5 games before Remus and Sirius joined them. Regulus won three, James won two. Remus took Peter’s place in the stands so he could play two on two with the others. It was a quick game, but it was fun. Regulus couldn’t even remember who won. Peter had taken advantage of James and Sirius’s distraction when they got into an argument over tactics and scored seven goals in a row. Sirius then made it his mission to score against Regulus as many times as he could without stopping. When Peter got hit in the face with the quaffle they all called it quits. 

“It’s not bad, here- I can fix it for you, just hold still.” Regulus tutted, examining Peter’s bloodied nose. “Episkey!”

“Shite, that stings.” Peter grabbed at his face as the fractured bones righted themselves. When his nose was back in tip-top shape he prodded it gingerly before breaking into a wide grin. “Thanks Regulus! Where did you learn to be so adept at healing spells?”

“Growing up in our household, it’s either you learn them fast or you’re constantly in pain.” He said darkly as Sirius and James landed and Remus rushed down onto the pitch.

“You’ll have to teach me sometime. Healing spells will definitely come in handy this summer.” Peter’s eyes were wide and pleading.

“I can do that, yeah.” Reg gave him a sad smile.

“Peter! Are you alright? I’m so sorry, I wasn’t aiming for you, I swear.” James ran over, grabbing Peter by the shoulders and checking him over for injuries. 

“Regulus already patched me up, I’m fine.” Peter grimaced.

“You’re covered in blood! Here,” James pulled his wand from his robes. “Tergeo!”

Peter’s blood lifted off his face and robes, then disappeared in the wind.

“Cheers.” Peter said as he watched it blow away.

“I really am sorry, Wormy. I was trying to throw it to Sirius and it slipped out of my hands.” James looked devastated. 

“No lasting damage! You’re fine.” Peter waved him off. “I’ve dealt with worse.”

“You sure?” James asked hesitantly.

“I’m sure.” Peter grinned.

“It’s getting pretty dark, I think it’s time to head in any way.” Remus said as he joined them on the pitch.

“Always the voice of reason, Mooney. You’re such a buzzkill.” Sirius groaned good-naturedly as Remus wrapped his arms around his waist. 

“Some of us are prefects and can’t be caught out after curfew.” Remus retorted, kissing Sirius’s neck. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Sirius grinned. They linked arms and started walking back together ahead of the others.

“Someone should record them so we can throw it in Sirius’s face next time he gripes about us.” James smirked, offering his arm to Regulus.

“That is a fantastic idea, my universe.” Regulus shot him a cheeky wink as he took his arm and they started walking. “Do you have a camera?”

“I have one.” Peter chimed in, filling in on Regulus’s other side.

“Start carrying it in your bag. Next time they get all lovey-dovey, snap one really fast!” James chattered excitedly.

“This is going to be fun.” Reg grinned wickedly.


	7. Alexandra Nott

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus has had a great few weeks back at Hogwarts, minus a run-in or two with Snape, and now it is time for his first official date with James! We get to know Regulus's best friend, Lexi, a little bit better and both Regulus and James are scolded for having no fashion sense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my lovely readers! This chapter is so important because we get to know Lexi a lot better and I really hope you love her as much as I do! As always, a huge thank you to my DARLING beta reader, AlexClio! She is a godsend and this fic would fail without her.  
> Shout out to my two most loyal readers, other than AlexClio, AbbyAbel, and AdaolfoPorras!!!  
> If you're just tuning in, welcome friend! If you've stuck with me from chapter 1, thank you! If you like what you're reading, please leave kudos or comments (preferably both)! If you don't, leave feedback in the comments! If you have any cute Jagulus or WolfStar moments you want to see, leave them in the comments too! I will try to work in as many as possible.  
> Happy reading! 
> 
> Rule One of being a good Slytherin: Don't forget to FLOUNCE

The common room was almost empty when Regulus walked in. He had been in the library with James and Peter looking at healing books. James had decided to help him in his venture of teaching Peter healing magic. It was harder than he thought it would be. Healing magic came almost naturally to him, yet Peter struggled to cast even the most basic spell. They had been at it for weeks before Regulus broke down and resorted to finding books to hopefully help Peter understand. It must have been later than he thought. He spotted Lexi curled up on one of the couches by the fire and he angled towards her, moving around armchairs and study tables. As he got closer he realized she was penning a long letter, the top of the parchment almost trailing to the ground.

“Writing a novel?” He asked as he flopped down on the couch next to her.

“Writing my pen pal in the States.” She muttered absentmindedly. 

“Still? After all these years?” Regulus was impressed. 

“Yes, Regulus. I’m allowed to have more friends than just you.” She teased, sticking out her tongue. “I wish we didn’t live so far away. She’s really a delightful person.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it.” He smirked. “You never let me read her letters.”

“Oi, she’s my lovely.” She pouted. “She didn’t write the letters to you. She wrote them to me.”

“Possessive much?” He pushed her playfully. 

“We have plans to get married if men fail us.” She replied distractedly as if that answered the question instead of raising more. 

“Wait, what?” He gasped.

“Yeah, if we’re not married or in a serious relationship by the time we’re 40, we’re just going to marry each other.” She looked at him like he was an idiot. 

“Have you ever met her in person?” He laughed incredulously

“Well, no. She is making plans to come out to France for a visit next summer though.” She shrugged as if it didn’t matter. It probably didn’t.

“You and your mother are still living in Bordeaux?” He latched onto the change of subject.

“I wouldn’t move back to the Scottish countryside if you paid me at this point.” She rolled her eyes.”Bordeaux is beautiful; you have 18th-century architecture, The Gothic Cathedrale of Saint Andre, miles upon miles of beautiful vineyards and the most amazing wine you have ever tasted, it’s a port town so there is always something new going on-”

“Alright, alright! I get it.” Regulus laughed. “You love living in France."

"I would insist on going to Beauxbatons if my oldest and dearest friend didn't go here." She shot him an annoyed glare. 

"Don't blame me! Your father would never allow it." He sneered playfully.

"I don't ever even see him anymore." She sighed, signing her letter with a flourish and rolling it up tightly.

"What about Julius?"

"What, you mean the brother who acts like I don't even exist?" She pouted. "I bet Juli wouldn't care if I dropped off the face of the planet."

"He would. If not of his own free will, I would make him care and help me hunt you down."

"Good luck finding me if I don't want to be found." She gave him a scathing look. 

"A simple locator spell would do the trick." He smirked.

"That's blood magic!" She gasped. "It's illegal. You couldn't do that."

"Since when has legality ever been an issue?" 

“Fair point.” She conceded. “So, are you going to be spending all of your free time with the Gryffindors now? I’ve barely seen you this week.”

“They have names,” He rolled his eyes. “and I’m tutoring Peter. Poor sod needs all the help he can get.”

“I don’t care. They’re Gryffindors. And if you think this little war between you and the upperclassmen is over after that stunt you pulled with Snape, then you have-”

“I don’t care.” He shot back, throwing her own words in her face. Her stony glare bolstered his courage. “I don’t bloody care what Snape or any of the other vipers think. I like hanging out with my brother, and I like being with James. He makes me happy, why can’t you just accept that?”

“I can! I do!” She cried. “Of course I want you to be happy, Reg. You’re my best friend. What I can’t accept is you provoking the dangerous people in this house like your life doesn’t matter! They will kill you if you give them half a chance. How am I supposed to survive this wretched school if you end up dead? Did you ever think of that? No! You were only thinking of yourself and what you like to do.”

Regulus blinked rapidly in the wake of her outburst. He hadn’t expected her to blow up at him. Or for her to make a solid argument. 

“I hadn’t thought about it like that.” He said quietly. 

“I know you didn’t. I also know you have a big heart and are just trying to look after everyone else. That’s why I have to bully you sometimes.” Her expression softened and she pushed him over. “I have to make sure you look after yourself too.”

Regulus didn’t mind, he merely flipped on his back and used the armrest he almost hit his head on as a pillow, putting his feet in her lap. She slapped at them but he didn’t relent and eventually she allowed it. It was the most affection she had shown in a long time. 

“I appreciate you.” He said simply.

“I appreciate you too.” She scowled moodily. “Stop antagonizing the vipers, alright?”

“I’m not going to stop seeing James.” He scoffed.

“You don’t have to, just stop rubbing it in their faces.”

“I’ll do my best.” He promised.

“Good.” She settled back and grabbed her favorite book, opening it to where she had last left off.

“James wants to spend more time with you.” Regulus hedged, hoping she had calmed down just enough to not blow up again.

“What? Why?” She looked up in shock.

“Because you’re my best friend, I suppose.” He shrugged. “I spend time with him and his best friends, and I think he wants to return the favor. Can you play nice for one day?”

“I don’t want to hang out with a bunch of Gryffindors.” She whined.

“One day! Just one day, then if you still hate them you never have to spend time with them again. I swear to Salazar.” He widened his eyes in an innocent expression. 

Lexi leveled her best glare at him. When he didn’t back down she sighed in defeat and shoved his feet off her lap.

“Alright.” She snapped. “ONE day.”

Regulus cheered in victory and she narrowed her eyes at him.

“When is this happening?”

“Could you meet up with us at the Three Broomsticks around one tomorrow?” He asked hopefully.

“You’re cutting into my Hogsmeade weekend?” She groaned.

“Only for the last little bit. James and I are having our first date, then we’re meeting the guys at the Three Broomsticks afterward for a drink. It’s neutral ground. Come on.” He pleaded. 

“Fine.” She groaned as if it would kill her.

“You’re the best, Lex,” He grinned.

“I know.”  
***

“You’ll like them if you give them a chance, trust me.” Regulus repeated for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. 

“I don’t want to give them a chance, I’m only doing this for you.” Lexi whined for what also felt like the hundredth time. “I barely like other Slytherins. I doubt Gryffindors will be any different.”

“Just… play nice, alright? For me?” He sighed as they climbed the stairs in tandem.

“I’m always nice.” She snipped her lips forming a full pout.

“You think you’re always nice.” He countered. “But you don’t have a filter, Lex. Some people don’t enjoy your brutal honesty.”

“Those people are morons.” She rolled her eyes dramatically.

“Whatever you say.” Reg chuckled as they reached the entrance hall.

Regulus broke into a foolish grin, missing Lexi's scathing reply. James was waiting for him in the alcove where they shared their first sober snog, looking dapper in muggle jeans and a black dress shirt. He had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, displaying his muscular forearms, and he had left it unbuttoned to reveal an emerald green tee underneath. It looked like he had actually tried to tame his hair for once as well. 

“You look nice.” He winked, reaching up to tousle his carefully arranged locks.

“Oi! That took me ages!” James cried, jerking back.

“I like it better messy.” He shrugged unapologetically. 

“You do?” James flushed, reaching up to assess the damage Regulus had caused. 

“I really do.” He mused, laughing freely when James stopped trying to fix it and used both hands to return it to its normal, sexily disheveled, disarray. 

“You two are disgusting.” Lexi huffed. “Three Broomsticks at one, yeah?”

“Yeah, see you there.” Reg playfully punched her arm. She shot him a fond glare before taking off towards where Filch was checking names against the list of people who had permission to visit Hogsmeade. 

“So she agreed to come?” James sounded apprehensive.

“She did. She even promised to behave, for the most part.” Reg watched her flounce onto the sunlit grounds.

“Now that’s something.” James grinned. “Nice outfit.”

“Lexi picked it out. Should I change?” Regulus exclaimed, glancing down at the ruby red jumper and black sports coat she had picked. Perhaps picked wasn’t the right word. She had stomped into his dorm after breakfast and thrown the clothing at him, grumbling about his poor taste in fashion. It was her way of being supportive.

“No, you look great.” James rushed to reassure him. “Lexi picked it?”

“Yeah, she doesn’t trust my taste in fashion apparently.” Regulus blushed.

“Sirius said the same thing.” James laughed. “He picked out my outfit.”

“Really?” Regulus arched his eyebrow in disbelief. 

“Good to know they care, right?” James gave him his favorite lopsided smile as he offered his arm.

“They mean well.” Regulus sighed, slipping his arm through James’s and letting him lead them over to the steady stream of students leaving for Hogsmeade.

“Doesn’t stop them from being right pains, though.” James chuckled.

“Too true.” Regulus tutted. “Where are we going today?”

“Oi, nice try! It’s a surprise.” James exclaimed, causing the students closest to them to turn and stare.

“Come on, one little hint?” Regulus begged.

“Not a chance.” He grinned mischievously. "You'll just have to wait and see."


	8. Ukuleles and Waterfalls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> James and Regulus have their first date. After three weeks of dating they are finally ready to have the ever dreaded "Exes" conversation. Will it ruin their relationship or make it stronger? Read to find out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh! I am so excited for this chapter. It's adorable and it was so much fun to write. As always, a MONSTEROUS thank you to my best friend 💙AlexClio💙for beta reading for me! She said this chapter made her smile, so hopefully it makes you smile too! If you like what you're reading, smash that kudos button and leave a comment! (Seriously, it fuels my creativity to know that you actually enjoy my writing) If you don't like it, leave constructive criticism in the comments to help me make this fic better! To those of you who have stuck with me for this long;😭Thank you!!! To those of you who are just joining, welcome! If you have any adorable Jagulus or WolfStar moments you want to see in this fic, leave it in the comments and I will do my best to work it in!  
> Happy reading!

Splashes of gold and red dominated the auspicious skyline as they strolled down the lane. Fallen leaves littered their path and crunched underfoot, bringing Regulus an outlandish sense of satisfaction. The sharp scent of seasonal decay surrounded them on all sides and nearby a river babbled playfully. It turned out that a romantic stroll through the local park was James’s big surprise. Some people might have been underwhelmed, but Regulus loved it. It was so quaint and simple. The real gift was the person that was walking beside him, their fingers laced together as they talked. 

Regulus adored how James’s eyes ignited when he talked about something that excited him. Right now it was muggle music. Apparently wizarding music was too mundane for someone as extraordinary as James Potter.

“-and they just came out with this absolutely brilliant piece called Bohemian Rhapsody. I heard it for the first time last christmas and I just can’t seem to get it out of my head-” James was raving and Regulus just smiled. 

He had never heard of the band James was going on about, but they were quickly becoming his favorite band. He hadn’t even heard a song yet, but the way James talked about them made Regulus just as excited as he was. His enthusiasm was infectious. 

“-and it covers so many different genres; you have the introduction which in and of itself is brilliant, it’s like they’re speaking into your very soul. Then there’s this great ballad bit and then it just slides seamlessly into an operatic passage and then it turns all rocky and totally grunge and it’s honestly so amazing.” James had a wide grin plastered on his face as he ranted with barely a pause for breath.

“I’d love to listen to it sometime.” Reg interjected when James didn’t immediately continue.

“Really?” James’s smile turned sly as he glanced sideways at him. 

“Yeah.” he replied bemusedly. 

He had been dating James for almost a month and that grin always heralded mischief of some sort. 

“Well then, you’re in luck.” James suddenly pulled him off the path and towards an abandoned amphitheater. 

He followed James down the smaller footpath that had been overgrown with vegetation without complaint. He had learned early on that it was best to go with the flow when James was involved. It was almost always more fun that way. James didn’t stop, dragging him up the crumbling steps and onto the stage.

A blanket had been spread out close to the edge with a bottle of wine, two glasses and a tiny guitar laid on top.

“What’s this?” Regulus’s heart felt like it was about to explode as James led them to it and plopped down.

“Your surprise.” He beamed, patting the blanket next to him. 

Regulus flushed in pleasure as he settled next to James. Of course he had more than a nice walk planned. He wouldn’t be James if he didn’t plan something big. James waved his wand to decanter the wine and poured them each a generous glass, holding one out to Regulus.

“Thank you.” He accepted the glass and swirled it beneath his nose. “Oak undertones, floral aroma and a hint of berry. You spoil me.” He hummed appreciatively.

“Only the best for you, gorgeous.” James winked, raising his glass. “Here’s to first dates, may it be followed with many more.”

“To many more.” Regulus agreed, clinking his glass against James’s. 

Sweet berries and bitter oak flavor coated his tongue and Regulus’s eyes widened in wonder.

“Do you like it?” James asked apprehensively.

“Absolutely. It’s the most exquisite wine I have ever tasted.” 

“It’s my mom’s favorite. I bribed the bar keep at the HogsHead to order it specially. “ James looked rather proud of himself.

“I have found that Potters tend to have excellent taste.” He mused, taking another sip.

“We do.” James nodded sagely, making Regulus chuckle. “Now, for the second part of your surprise!” James set his glass down and grabbed the small guitar.

“What is that?” Regulus nodded at it, noticing it only had four strings where guitars normally had six. 

“A ukulele.” James plucked the strings experimentally, making sure it was in tune. 

“What in Merlin's name is a ukulele?” Regulus arched an eyebrow.

“It’s a variation of the lute family.” He said in an unconcerned tone, playing various cords until he was satisfied. “I got it for my birthday two years back. Now sit back, relax, and enjoy my rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.”

Regulus obeyed instantly, leaning back on his elbow as James shifted into a more poised position. 

“You’re not going to sing, are you?” He teased.

“Oi, I am and you’re going to like it.” James huffed indignantly. 

“Alright, alright.” He gave in with good grace, chuckling softly. 

James loved to sing. He would randomly break into song when he was happy or bored and was always slightly off key, but Regulus didn’t mind. The sheer delight on his face was worth the grating notes.

James frowned in concentration as he strummed the opening chords. While James played and sang Regulus found himself swept away. His facial expressions as he belted out the lyrics and the way his nimble fingers seemed to glide over the strings was almost as mesmerizing as the song. Every once in a while James would look up at him and shoot him a playful wink or crooked smile. 

Regulus was pleasantly surprised to find that James actually sounded fantastic. His voice was rich and smooth as he glided up and down the scales flawlessly. When he shifted into a falsetto for the operatic section Regulus was floored by how well James performed. He was clearly in his element. The only other time Regulus had seen him come so alive was on the Quidditch pitch. He exuded that same energy, that same manic enthusiasm, with the ukulele in his hands. It was a marvel to behold. 

When the last chords hung in the air Regulus broke into zealous applause. James turned bright red but looked pleased nonetheless.

“James… you can sing!” He laughed.

“I tried telling you.” James rolled his eyes at him. “No one ever believes me.”

“I will never doubt you again, my universe.” Regulus leaned forward to steal a quick kiss. 

“You really liked it though?” James’s ducked his head as he set the ukulele down.

“It was wonderful. I’ve never quite heard anything like it.” Regulus replied earnestly. “Is that the instrument they use? The… the queens?”

“It’s just Queen.” James grinned “They use a wide array of instruments, but I don’t think a ukulele is one of them.”

“Well they should. It sounded great. How did you learn to play?” Regulus nursed the deliciously sweet wine.

Honey colored eyes blazed with happiness as he began telling Regulus stories of his experiments with different kinds of lutes and what had led him to playing the tenor ukulele. It might have sounded dull to anyone else, but Regulus found it to be quite a thrilling tale. James had a way with words that could make any subject riveting.

“Do you play anything?” James asked as he grabbed his glass.

“I was given piano lessons when I was younger. I haven’t played since I started at Hogwarts though.” He grimaced.

“Not your thing?” James trilled in sympathy.

“I’m alright at it, but it doesn’t really interest me.”

“Would you want to learn how to play the ukulele?” James asked hesitantly.

“Only if you’re the teacher.” Regulus frowned thoughtfully as he considered learning another instrument. This one would be by choice, and he had extra motivation to please his teacher.

“Really?” James sounded surprised.

“I’m always open to trying new things.” Regulus shrugged self-consciously. 

“I love that about you.” James's cheeks flared crimson once the words left his mouth.

“Oh? What else do you love about me?” Regulus grinned impishly. 

James paused and their eyes locked. Saffron fire enraptured him and he found himself lost in James’s gaze.

“Everything.” James breathed before leaning in for a searing kiss. 

Regulus's pulse quickened as their lips met. 

After three weeks of kissing James almost every day Regulus 's heart still raced like it was the first time. The rest of the world melted away and the only thing he was aware of was the feel of James’s warm lips moving hungrily against his and deft fingers knotting in the hair at the nape of his neck. He could feel James’s other hand cupping his chin, securing his face to his and Regulus hummed in pleasure, shifting closer to deepen the kiss. James responded immediately by coaxing him further forward with tantalizing kisses and gentle prodding with the hand that was tangled in his hair until Regulus was straddling him. 

Their previous snogging sessions had never been like this. It was exciting and strangely freeing to be completely alone in a quiet park, hidden from the path by the amphitheater. They had never been truly alone before. There was always the possibility of Sirius or Lexi or any number of people, students and teachers alike, popping up and interrupting them. Every time they finally thought they were alone someone inevitably found them.

James’s hands danced across his back, pulling him impossibly closer. Regulus didn’t mind in the least. He felt the same burning desire to be as close as possible. James hesitantly licked his lips and he parted them instantly, happily letting him explore the inside of his mouth. He tasted of the wine they had just been drinking and brilliant sunlight. It was insanely addicting. Before long Regulus was fighting for dominance, carding his fingers through James’s messy hair. James let out a soft whimper when Regulus gave it an experimental tug so he repeated the action, eliciting another delicious whimper. He took advantage of James’s distraction and plundered his mouth greedily. James let a low groan escape before locking his arms around Regulus’s waist, pulling him down until James was laying flat on his back without breaking their kiss. 

An all consuming fire spread from his stomach to his veins when he felt James’s erection rub against his own. It only served to deepen his arousal and he couldn’t stop the guttural moan that rose up in his throat. He pulled back slightly, staring down at James who was panting heavily. He gently removed James’s glasses with shaking hands, placing them a safe distance away. When he looked back he froze for a moment. The intensity of James’s amber eyes was almost overwhelming without his glasses and he took a moment to drink in the sight. Just as James started pouting, Regulus smothered every inch of his face with kisses. He trailed his lips down James’s jawline and back before nipping playfully at his earlobes. He grinned triumphantly when James shivered in pleasure. 

He trailed his kisses back to James's beckoning lips and gasped in a mixture of pleasure and pain when he bit down on Regulus’s bottom lip, sucking it into his mouth completely before releasing it with a soft pop. Regulus responded in kind, nipping James’s bottom lip until he granted him entrance and sucking his tongue into his mouth. The kiss turned hot and messy and Regulus ground his hips into James, searching desperately for the friction his body was demanding. Everything inside of him ached for more. 

“Oi, you two! This is a public place! Keep your inappropriate behavior behind closed doors!” A shrill voice jolted them out of their intense little bubble. 

Regulus’s head snapped up, searching for the source of the unjust interruption. An older woman was walking a tiny fur ball that must have been her dog down the path that passed the amphitheater. James tilted his head to see her for himself, then squinted and Regulus had to laugh. He grabbed his glasses from the edge of their blanket and handed them to him as he extricated himself from James's lap.

“Well that was…” James trailed off, looking after the lady with a disgruntled expression.

“I know.” Regulus laughed, reaching for the bottle of wine. He poured them each a fresh glass then broke into a fit of laughter when he saw James’s hair. In place of his normally casual disarray he looked like a hedgehog.

They spent the rest of the morning drinking wine and sharing stories. James played him a couple more songs and Regulus was amused to discover James was a fantastic singer as long as he had accompaniment. All too soon it was time to meet their friends at the Three Broomsticks and they had to pack up.

“How did you get all of this out here?” Regulus wondered out loud as James put his ukulele away lovingly.

“I snuck out here last night after curfew to set everything up.” He admitted reluctantly.

“How did you manage that? Don’t they keep the castle gates locked at all times?”

“I have my ways.” He shot him a secretive smirk.

“I’ll never be done learning all of your secrets, will I?” Regulus laughed.

“I hope not. You might leave me because then I’d be boring.” James teased, but Regulus could hear the insecurity buried beneath the joking tone.

“I would never leave you.” He reached out and gently stroked his face. “You could be the most boring person alive and I would still find you fascinating.”

“You would?” James’s eyes were filled with a childlike wonder and Regulus couldn't resist leaning in for a quick kiss.

“I would.” He promised.

“Well that’s alright then.” He beamed, leading Regulus further down the footpath, away from the main trail. “We’re taking the scenic route back.” He supplied when he caught sight of Regulus's confused expression. 

“Lead the way, my universe.” He uttered flippantly. 

James’s grin grew impossibly wider at the use of his pet name and Regulus didn't’ think he would ever get tired of seeing his face light up. He grabbed the hand that wasn’t carrying the ukulele case and blanket. James shot him his favorite twisted half-smile before using their joined hands as leverage to pull him into a passionate kiss. 

“Well that was fun.” James laughed breathlessly as they pulled apart.

“Which part? The tremendous snogging or the personal concert?” He grinned, chest heaving as he struggled to catch his breath.

“All of it.” James tugged him father down the footpath until they were out of the cove of trees and next to the river Regulus had heard earlier. “But especially the...tremendous snogging.”

“Happy to hear my kissing is up to par.” Regulus teased.

“Why wouldn’t it be?” James shot him a quizzical look as they began walking along the river.

“Oh, erm…” Regulus blushed fiercely. “I don’t really have...a lot of experience.”

“What, am I your first kiss?” James broke into an evil grin, eyes flashing. 

“No. Of course not. I’ve kissed other people.” He huffs.

“Have you now? How many?” the maniacal smirk still firmly in place.

“Two.” Regulus grimaces. Would James be freaked out by such a low number? “How many have you kissed?”

“Ah, you can’t ask me questions like that.” James’s smile slid off his face.

“Why not? You asked me.” Regulus pressed.

“You’re not my first kiss.” James hedged awkwardly. 

“Alright, what number am I then?” His curiosity was peaked now. There was no turning back.

“Do we have to talk about this?”

“You brought it up.” Regulus pointed out calmly. “I promise not to judge you.”

“You promise you won’t do a runner?” James finally sighed after a long, measuring look.

“I would never.” Regulus sniffed.

“I honestly don’t remember how many. There are a lot of games of spin the bottle in the Gryffindor common room if you stay up late enough.” He grimaced.

Regulus stopped walking, almost yanking James off his feet when their arms had stretched as far as they could without releasing the other’s hand. Once he regained his balance James walked back, facing him with a wounded expression.

“You said you weren’t going to do a runner.” He said sadly. “I understand if that’s...too much for you though.”

“I’m not running.” Regulus shook his head, both in denial and to clear it. “Just a little surprised is all. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“I should hope not.” James snorted, then his expression softened. “You really don’t mind?”

“Why should I? It’s all in the past, right?” He shrugged as casually as he could manage. 

“Yeah. It is.” James nodded, a ghost of his former smile gracing his lips. ‘I’ve only properly snogged a handful of people though, if that makes it any better.”

“Really? Who?” Regulus’s curiosity flared up again. “Sorry, you don’t have to answer that.”

“No that’s alright, I don’t mind as long as you don’t. Let's see, there was Mara Goldstein-”

“The Hufflepuff beater?” 

“That’s the one. And Frank Abbot, Edward Selden, Maria Vasquez, Elanor Shole, Riley Longbottom, erm, lets see…. Jasper Hawthorn, Gwendolyn Penny, Robert Parkinson, Boris Fawley, Natasha Kerchev, and now you.” He counted off, eyes glancing upwards in concentration. “Oh! And I was this close” he held his fingers two inches apart “from kissing Remus, but then Sirius pushed me down the stairs. I can’t imagine why, they weren’t even dating yet.”

“That’s...more than I expected.” Regulus thought that he and James had very different opinions on what ‘a handful’ of people meant. With each name he rattled off Regulus felt smaller and smaller. That was...eleven and a half people compared to his two.

“Too many?” James kicked at a pebble in their path, sending it sailing into the river.

“No. Just more than I thought it would be. That’s all.” He tried to keep his expression neutral. 

“Alright, fair is fair. What about your two? Who were they?”

“Lexi and Svetlana.” Regulus looked out at the river rather than at James. It really was a beautiful view.

“Wait, Lexi as in Lexi Nott?” James sounded scandalized and Regulus couldn’t bring himself to look over at him.

“Yeah. We tried dating for a bit in our third year, but it was miserable. We mutually decided that we make much better friends.” James let out a low whistle and Regulus finally turned to face him.

“Doesn’t that make things awkward between you?” James’s tawny eyes were filled with burning curiosity and Regulus sighed. 

“Does your almost-kiss make things awkward between you and Remus?” He countered.

“Fair enough. Did you date Lana Ivanov too?” 

“I did. It lasted about two weeks before she hit me and I dumped her.”

“She WHAT?!” It was James’s turn to stop in his tracks, almost yanking Regulus off balance.

“It’s fine. She was angry because I wouldn’t let her copy my potions essay. Things escalated quickly, but she immediately apologized.”

“What did you say?”

“I immediately dumped her.” He rolled his shoulders, cracking his neck as he did so. 

“Good for you.” James gave him an approving nod before allowing them to set off again. 

“What about you? Did you date all eleven of your...proper snogging partners?” 

“Most of them. Some of them were only because I was drunk, single and bored.”

“That would explain Robert Parkinson.” Regulus laughed.

“Yeah, not my best idea, that.” James grimaced playfully. 

“No kidding.” He snorted in amusement. 

“He’s not a bad looking bloke.” James sniffed in feigned offence.

“Yeah, but that personality though.” Regulus rolled his eyes.

“You’ve got me there.” James snickered.

“Whoa, wait. Stop.” Regulus slowed their pace and moved closer to the bank of the river.

“What? What did I say?”

“Look.” He chirped happily. “A waterfall.”

“That’s not a waterfall, Reg. Those are called rapids.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know, but it’s still water cascading from one place to another and I think it’s beautiful.” He waved him off, releasing his hand to climb onto the large rocks in the shallows.

“What are you doing?” James called from the path.

“I want to get a closer look.” He glanced back over his shoulder with what he hoped was a charming smile. “I love waterfalls.”

“Alright.” James sighed, carefully picking his way across the rocky bank to join him.

“Look at how the sunlight dances on the water right before it falls over the edge.” He breathed. “It’s so...peaceful.”

“Yeah, it is.” James said thoughtfully. 

After a few moments of comfortable silence James placed a hand on his shoulder. 

“Come on, Reg. We got people waiting on us.”


	9. Gryffindors and Slytherins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lexi gets passionate about charm theory, and James complains about not being in the same house as His Black. Regulus is fleetingly happy and Snape makes an appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, dears! Long time no see! Sorry this update took so long. I have been focusing on my other fic, but not to worry! I haven't given up on Power!!! Now that Harry and Draco are finally together hopefully I can go back to trading off chapters; work on Finding a Way Home, work on Power to Save the World. This chapter is a tad short but I *had* to end it where I did. For reasons. 😈😈😈  
> As always, a huge thank you to my darling beta reader, AlexClio! She is the reason I write!!  
> If you like what you're reading please leave kudos and a comment! If you don't, leave a comment on what you think I can do better!   
> Happy reading!

The bustling streets of Hogsmead were almost overwhelming after the seclusion of the park, but James kept him grounded and Regulus didn’t seem to mind the crowds as much as he normally would have. It was the strangest thing, but Regulus found that his anxiety was much more manageable with James around. His solid presence and constant lighthearted humor was comforting. He had Regulus cracking up as they made their way to the Three Broomsticks to meet up with their friends. When they entered the pub it wasn’t hard to spot the motley mix, the four of them had claimed the largest table by the windows. Lexi predictably had a book open in front of her. To Regulus’s great surprise, however, she was engaged in what seemed to be a spirited debate with Remus. Sirius was smirking ever so slightly as he watched the pair argue. Peter was glancing between the three of them apprehensively from behind his own book. Regulus exchanged a wary glance with James as they approached.

“-but that entire line of thinking is, by extension, illogical.” Lexi sounded equal parts exasperated and amused. 

“I can see where you’re coming from, and you present an interesting perspective. I’ll take your thoughts into consideration, but my views remain unchanged.” Remus said smoothly.

“You’re incorrigible.” Lexi huffed. 

“What are we arguing about?” James asked brightly as they claimed the only open seats at the table. 

“Charm Theory.” Sirius replied happily. “It’s like watching tennis.”

“If it’s about charms, then Lexi is right.” Reg boldly declared.

“Thank you.” Lexi sniffed. “That almost makes up for you being late.”

“Only by two minutes!” He whined.

“Sorry, love, but I’d wager Remus is right on this one.” James shot him a crooked smirk. “He practically lives in the library.”

“Lexi lives and breathes charms.” Regulus countered.

“Oi, we agreed to disagree.” Lexi intervened. “Don’t you two pick up where we left off.”

“Alright, you win.” Reg raised his hands in mock surrender. 

“Good.” She sighed, sliding him an unopened butterbeer. “I see why you put up with this lot.” 

“Do you?” He smirked.

“This one is clever.” She pointed at Remus. “That one is funny.” She pointed at Sirius. “And He’s...interesting.” She narrowed her eyes at Peter.

“She hit the nail on the head with that one.” James grinned. 

“What do you mean by interesting?” Peter squeaked.

“Hear that, Remus? I’m funny.” Sirius boasted. 

“Yes, darling. You’re a riot.” Remus rolled his eyes.

“You don’t say a lot but your body language and facial expressions speak volumes.” Lexi spoke over the others, answering Peter’s question. 

“Oh.” Peter blinked in surprise. “I think you’re interesting too.”

“I know.” Lexi simpered, making Peter go red in the face.

“I think she’s hilarious. Never met a snake quite like her.” Sirius boomed, resting his cheek against his knuckles and staring at her dreamily.

“Me?” She arched an eyebrow. 

“Oi, back off. She’s mine.” Regulus pointed the neck of his butterbeer at Sirius.

“I thought I was yours.” James pouted playfully.

“James, I thought you were mine!” Sirius cried. 

“You’re all idiots.” Remus scoffed. “Obviously, all of you miscreants are mine.”

“I’ll drink to that.” James hummed in agreement, tilting his bottle towards Remus in salute.

“As will I.” Sirius raised what looked suspiciously like a rocks pour of firewhiskey.

“Here here.” Peter grinned, raising his butterbeer into the mix.

“I suppose if I must.” Regulus sighed, following their example. 

The entire table paused in their raucous celebration and looked at Lexi expectantly until she caved with an irritated huff.

“Oh, alright. Fine.” She lifted a rocks glass filled with the same amber liquid as Sirius’s.

“To Remus!” They all cried, clinking glasses and throwing back their drinks with reckless abandon. 

Reg noticed the face Lexi made as she swallowed her drink and his suspicions were confirmed. She had always hated straight liquor. He handed her his butterbeer wordlessly so she could chase the whiskey with something sweet. She gave him a grateful grin before taking a long swig. 

“Where did you get the firewhiskey?” He asked lightly as she passed him his bottle back.

“Your dear brother bought it for me.” She shot Sirius what could almost be considered a friendly expression. “I’d much rather have wine, but I wasn’t going to turn down free alcohol.”

“Fair enough, I suppose.” He smiled at her. 

“Oi, where’s mine then?” James cried in mock outrage, playfully punching Sirius in the shoulder. 

“I’m not trying to win you over.” Sirius shoved back.

“I appreciate the effort, but I can’t be bought with cheap liquor.” Lexi smiled.

“What can you be bought with?” Sirius arched an eyebrow at her.

“Wine, cheese, and marzipan.” Regulus smirked.

“Not even!” Lexi smacked him in the arm. 

“Nah, I think she’d be more impressed with proven loyalty and genuine acts of friendship.” James fixed her with his soul searching stare and Lexi met it with her own. 

“You’re surprisingly insightful, James Potter.” She gave him a contemplative glower. 

“I’ve been known to have my moments.” He smirked.

The next few hours flew by. The Marauders did most of the talking, but Lexi made an effort to get to know them and for that Regulus was grateful. A terrifying moment passed when Regulus lost track of both Lexi and James, but then he spotted them having what appeared to be an intense conversation by the bar and decided it was best not to interrupt. They headed back to Hogwarts together, taking up the entire lane as they all walked side by side. By the time they reached the castle, Reg felt like just maybe they could all be one big group of friends. There didn’t have to be any house rivalry. They all bid farewell to one another by the marble staircase and James leaned in to plant a lingering kiss on Regulus’s lips. 

“See you in the morning, gorgeous.” James’s eyes flicked up to meet his in a burning gaze.

“Till then, my universe.” Regulus grinned, the nickname flowing off his tongue with ease now. 

“You two are disgusting.” Sirius and Lexi said in unison, looking at the other in mild surprise.

“Sod off.” James gave them both a crude hand gesture before ducking his head for one last kiss.

“Oi, I resent that.” Sirius huffed while Lexi chuckled. 

“Come on, Prongs.” Remus sighed, grabbing James by the shoulder and dragging him up the first few steps.

“You just don’t understand, your Black is in our house. You get to see him all the time.” James whined.

“I know, it’s unfair.” Remus said in a patronizing tone as the other Gryffindors followed them up the stairs.

“They’re not half bad.” Lexi said quietly, watching them with an odd expression on her face.

“I like them, at least. I can’t speak for the rest of Gryffindor, but those four are alright.” Reg led the way down to the dungeons.

“I hate to agree with you on this, but I think I have to.” She rolled her eyes at him.

“So you approve of James?” He asked hopefully. 

She paused for so long that Regulus began to worry. 

“He’s...acceptable.” She hedged. 

“Acceptable?” 

"He obviously cares about you, and he seems intelligent enough. Only time will really tell if he truly deserves you though." She shrugged as he muttered the password, causing the stone wall to dissolve.

“I suppose that’s the best I could hope for after one day.” He sighed, secretly pleased. She didn’t hate them. He considered that progress. 

“The lion loving blood traitor returns.” a venomous voice sneered as soon as they entered the common room and Regulus’s heart stopped.

Severus Snape was blocking the path to the dorms, wand held at the ready and a murderous expression contorting his greasy face. Thorfinn Rowle and the Carrow twins were flanking him in an intimidating display, their wands drawn and pointed directly at Lexi and Regulus. 

Shite. They were outnumbered. 

“What do you want, Snape?” He asked in a surprisingly calm voice, casually stepping in front of Lexi to shield her from the potential attack.

“You’re still running around with Potter and his gang of misfits.” Alecto glared at him disdainfully, wrinkling her nose as if she smelt something unpleasant. 

“And you have yet to pay for humiliating Severus in the Transfiguration corridor last month.” Amycus snarled.

“Humiliate Snape?” Regulus feigned confusion. “That doesn’t sound like me.”

“No?” Snape’s grip on his wand tightened. “You threatened to kill me. Ring any bells?”

Lexi gasped quietly at this revelation and Regulus tried not to tremble. 

“Definitely not.” He denied, slowly drawing his own wand. “Are you sure you’ve got the right Black?”

Evans had been working with him during Slug Club dinners to help him learn non-verbal magic. If he could just point his wand at Snape without the others noticing they might just be able to get out of this. 

“Do you think this is funny?” Thorfinn hissed, jabbing his wand forward in a menacing manner.

“Absolutely not. Slytherins look after their own, I would never threaten a fellow Slytherin.” He lied smoothly, raising his wand tip another few centimeters. He was almost there.

“You’re right, Slytherins do.” Snape snapped. “As far as I’m concerned you’re just another idiotic Gryffindor.”

There! He had it! 

He concentrated on a powerful stunning spell, but before he could cast it he was yanked into the air by his ankle and dropped his wand in shock. He dangled unceremoniously six feet above the ground while the vipers laughed and heckled him. When Snape hit him with the torture curse Lexi started screaming at them in rapid fire french. The pain was excruciating, but it was nothing compared to what his mother would inflict on him when she was displeased. Still, he was caught off guard and wasn’t able to stop himself from crying out at the pain. 

That set Lexi off. Before anyone else could blink she had her wand out and was shooting off spells at an alarming rate. She was so angry that even though she was usually deadly accurate she failed to hit Snape. He almost laughed in relief when Thorfinne and Amycus went down, but his amusement was short-lived. Alecto and Snape both hit her with stunning spells and she fell in a crumpled heap on the ground. 

The last thing Regulus remembered was screaming Lexi’s name at the top of his lungs before Snape and Alecto crucioed him together. His vision went red before fading to black.


	10. Hospital Wings and Shiny Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regulus is healing from Severus Snape and Alecto Carrow's unforgivable curse and loses track of time. James talks in his sleep and Remus does something incredibly thoughtful.

The first thing Regulus was aware of was a throbbing ache in his ribs. It felt like the bones were trying to mend themselves, which was altogether a rather unpleasant sensation. His head felt like it was likely to explode and a shooting pain behind his eyes demanded his attention next. When he tried to move he felt every muscle in his body tense up in protest. Everything hurt. 

Something warm and solid shifted against his left side and his eyes flew open in alarm. His vision adjusted to the darkness of the hospital wing and the sight that greeted him had him sagging in relief against the uncomfortable mattress. James was curled up against his side, his head and one of his shoulders poking out of the invisibility cloak. He shifted again and nuzzled into Regulus’s shoulder, muttering something unintelligible in his sleep. He looked troubled; worry wrinkled his brow and a frown pulled at his full lips. Regulus reached over to smooth the furrow between his eyebrows with his thumb and gently traced the shape of James’s lips until his unhappy expression softened into something more peaceful. As he stared down at this impossibly beautiful man in his bed, James said Regulus’s name so clearly and with such emotion that Regulus thought he must have woken him with his touch. Before he could apologize, however, James muttered his name again and hitched his leg over Reg’s thighs. He grunted contentedly in his sleep and threw his arm across Regulus’s chest, dislodging the invisibility cloak entirely. Regulus sighed in affectionate exasperation as the silvery fabric fell to the floor. If Madam Pomfrey caught them like this in the morning they would both be in trouble. He gently extracted his left arm from beneath his sleeping boyfriend and pulled him into his arms. As he rested his cheek against the top of James’s head, however, Regulus found that he couldn’t be arsed to care. He fell back asleep quickly, comforted by the familiar scent of James’s shampoo.

The next time he opened his eyes sunlight was pouring into the ward. Regulus was equal parts disappointed and relieved that James was nowhere to be seen. He had tentatively whispered for him just in case he was hiding under his cloak but to no avail. He was alone. He was gratified to see that James had brought him a book to read and left it on the bedside table. He picked it up and examined the unfamiliar cover art. He had never heard of Anne Rice, nor had he heard of any Vampire refraining from feeding long enough to give an interview so he began reading with great interest. 

After the first few paragraphs, Regulus realized it must be a muggle novel and his appreciation grew all the more. He had never read a muggle book before. James was so thoughtful. He easily got lost in the story, relishing in the strange fantasy of muggle vampires. Louis was stating his abhorrence for Lestat as Lestat killed the old man they had been talking with when Madam Pomfrey came in carrying a breakfast tray.

"Thank Merlin you're awake." She breathed, setting the tray on his bedside table before taking out her wand and checking him over. "How are you feeling?"

"Like hell." Regulus set the book down. Instant regret burned through him when he realized he had just lost his place. 

"That is to be expected." The matron tutted, reading the results from her wand. "You're mending, slowly but surely."

"Thank you." Regulus eagerly dug into the scramble and rashers of bacon as soon as she set the tray on his lap.

"By any chance, did you see the person who did this to you?" Pomfrey asked conversationally. 

Regulus froze with his fork halfway to his mouth. 

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't." He said shakily.

"It seems a little odd that your attacker would bring you back to your common room afterward, so it stands to reason that your attacker was one of your housemates." She leveled him with an icy stare.

"I…" Regulus fought back a shudder as a vision of Snape and his cohorts flashed in his mind. "I don't remember, ma’am. I'm sorry."

"Your wounds are identical to those caused by the Cruciatus curse. If another student used an Unforgivable on you it's grounds for immediate expulsion." She pressed.

"I really don't remember." He insisted. "Last thing I can recall is walking back to the dungeons with Lexi- Oh Merlin, Lexi! Is she alright?!"

"Miss Nott will be fine." She assured him. "She's healing much faster than you, at any rate. Stunning spell damage is easier dealt with than curse damage."

"Thank Salazar." He fell back against his pillows in relief. 

"Eat your breakfast. Your body needs all the strength it can get. If you remember anything about who cursed you, please let me know." Pomfrey said sternly before disappearing behind his privacy curtains.

Snape being expelled wouldn't solve anything. The other Death Eaters would rally behind Snape in his absence and make Regulus's life a living hell. Besides, despite personal feelings or vendettas, Slytherins looked after their own. Any discord among house members was dealt with within the house. Any interference from someone outside was shameful and unheard of.

As soon as he had swallowed the last bite of egg he heard the hospital wing door bang open and loud footsteps rushing towards Madam Pomfrey’s office.

“How is he? Any change?” James’s voice was anxious but soft. 

“He’s doing better, but he isn’t out of the woods yet.” Madam Pomfrey’s voice sounded serious. “He’s awake now if you want to-”

Before she could finish her sentence Regulus’s curtains were being pulled back and James stood on the other side, a wide grin spreading across his face. 

“Hey, Gorgeous.”

“My universe.” Regulus sighed in relief. It was like a burning ache he hadn’t been aware of was suddenly soothed as James walked over towards him.

“I’m so glad you’re awake.” James’s honey eyes shone with unshed tears. “I was so worried.”

“I woke up last night, actually.” Regulus smiled. “You scared me at first, but I’m really glad you snuck down here. I slept better with you here. Thank you.”

“Last night?” confusion colored James’s tone. “I haven’t been able to come to sleep with you since the first night.”

“The first night?” Regulus felt heavy with dread. “What do you mean the first night? How many nights were there?”

“You’ve been in here almost a week.” James pulled the small wooden chair intended for guests next to the bed and sat down. 

“Merlin, a week?” Regulus took a deep breath, leaning into James’s touch when he reached out to run his fingers through his hair. “What about Sirius, where is he?”

“He couldn’t stand seeing you just laying there lifeless. He stopped coming with me a few days ago.” James said sadly. “Everyone will be ecstatic you’re awake now. Even Evans has been asking about you. Apparently, Slug Club dinners are intolerable without you.”

“Have you seen Lexi? Is she ok?” Regulus watched as James interlaced their fingers, afraid of the answer. The Matron had said she would be fine, not that she was. If she was still in the hospital wing after a week her injuries must have been worse than he originally thought.

“She’s alright. Bloody pissed that they won’t let her out of here, actually. She thinks being held for observation is bollocks.” James’s lips twitched in a twisted half-smile, his voice warm with fond amusement.

“Sounds about right.” a relieved chuckle escaped as he pictured his best friend's indignation at being trapped here.

“She won’t say who did this to you.” James suddenly sobered. “It was Snape, wasn’t it?”

Regulus felt his face drain of color and he looked away in embarrassment. 

“There were a lot of them. We were outnumbered. Lexi managed to take two of them down before she got hit with two different stunners, but Snape had me hanging in the air by my ankle. I had dropped my wand- I couldn’t do anything to help her. I was totally useless, and I-”

“Shhh, darling it’s alright. You’re both safe now.” James stroked his face gently, forcing him to meet his gaze. “She doesn’t blame you at all.”

“How can you know that?” Reg sniffed miserably.

“We’ve had plenty of time to chat this past week. She’s almost more worried about you than I am.” James leaned forward to give him a quick kiss. “I’m glad you have her as a friend.”

“I don’t deserve her.” Regulus laughed self-deprecatingly. “I don’t deserve you either, but I’m glad you two put up with me.” 

“Oi, did Snape drop you on your head?”

“Probably.”

“Because that's the most asinine thing I’ve ever heard. You, Regulus Arcturus Black, are kind, clever, resourceful, compassionate, patient, funny, respectful, and oddly free-spirited. I’ve never known anyone as strong-willed or as resilient as you are. You fold your ties and color-code your wardrobe, you forget to cross your t’s when you get wrapped up in what you’re writing and you’re always excited to learn new things or help other people learn. You don’t seem to understand the word ‘impossible’, it’s not in your vocabulary at all and I think that’s amazing. You endure living with your monster of a mother, you never judge Peter when he bungles the spells you’re trying to teach him, you put up with Sirius, Godric only knows why you tolerate my singing- you give everyone a fair chance and the benefit of the doubt despite how you were raised to think. Reg, you’re incredible; and you deserve the world.” James’s eyes glowed amber with passion. 

“James, I-” Regulus was awestruck. He didn’t believe he was any of those wonderful things, but James obviously did. It was humbling. 

“I know you don’t feel that way but just trust me on this, ok?” James pleaded.

“Ok.” He all but whispered. 

“I love you.” James pressed his forehead against his, closing his eyes as he said the words out loud for the first time. 

Regulus’s heart skipped multiple beats and then began pounding in earnest as if to make up for the missed beats.

“I love you too.” He almost choked on the emotion welling up in his throat. “I love you so much.”

‘Can I ask you something?” James didn’t open his eyes and Reg frowned.

“Of course, anything.”

“What did Snivellus do to you?”

“Nothing my mother hasn’t done.” Regulus said evasively.

“Reg, please.” James said so quietly he probably wouldn’t have heard him if their faces hadn’t been mere inches apart.

“They used the cruciatus curse. Snape and Alecto Carrow.”

“At the same time?” James’s eyes flew open and he pulled back in shock.

All Regulus could do was nod.

“I’m going to kill them.” He growled.  
***

He had finished the muggle novel by lunchtime and was hoping James would think to bring him another one. There wasn’t much else to do in the hospital wing. Regulus was just considering asking Madame Pomfrey if she could bring him his books so he could start getting caught up on all of the assignments he’d missed when he heard the door to the infirmary open. Sound exploded and what sounded like a chattering stampede of elephants grew closer. It seemed to pause briefly before continuing in his direction. A hand parted his privacy curtains and threw them open wide, revealing all of his friends and a very disgruntled Lexi being pushed in a wheelchair by Peter.

“Hey there, sleeping beauty.” Sirius smirked, sauntering over to stand next to the bed.

“Sirius.” Regulus beamed at his brother as he bent down to give him a quick hug. 

“About damn time you decided to wake up.” Sirius huffed, trying to look unconcerned.

“I’m so incredibly sorry my injuries have been such an inconvenience to you.” Reg rolled his eyes as Sirius tousled his hair affectionately. 

“You better be.” Sirius nodded.

Regulus’s eyes sought out the one person he wanted to see most, relaxing ever so slightly when he saw James smiling at him from the back of the group. Remus leaned over to whisper something in his ear but he didn’t take his eyes off Regulus. Reg shot him a quick wink before allowing his attention to be claimed by his Slytherin friends. 

“The dorm has been utter chaos without our peacekeeper.” Tyler pushed forward, Josiah trailing close behind.

“And classes have been boring without you there to challenge the teachers.” Josiah grinned. 

“I’m sure it has, you degenerates.” Regulus teased them. 

“Glad you seem to be on the mend.” Tyler reached out to pat the part of his leg that he could reach. “We all miss you.” 

“Did you happen to-?”

“Of course we did, you swot.” Josiah laughed, holding up a bulging book bag. “We knew classwork would be the first thing you asked about.”

“You know me so well.” Reg reached for his book bag eagerly.

“How are we related?” Sirius was eyeing the bag with disdain. 

“We were so worried, Regulus.” Peter gripped the foot of the bed nervously. 

“I’m alright.” He assured them.

The rest of the lunch hour was filled with joking and catching Regulus and Lexi up on everything they had missed this past week. It was wonderful to see all of his friends, but part of him wished it could have been just him and James like breakfast. When the bell signaled the end of the lunch hour he was slightly relieved. Tyler and Josiah left first as they had Divination next and it would take ages to walk all the way to the North Tower. Peter left next for Muggle Studies with a suffocating hug and a promise to come back after dinner. Remus lingered, fiddling with a rectangular box.

“I have to go to Ancient Runes, but I wanted to give you guys these.” Remus said haltingly. “I didn’t want to do it with such a big audience. The fewer people who know you have these, the better.”

He opened the box and pulled out two thin silver chains, handing one to Lexi. She took it hesitantly, examining it with a wary expression. Regulus accepted his, admiring how the iridescent metal sparkled in the sunlight.

“Thank you.” Regulus smiled up at Remus. 

“I’ve worked protective enchantments into the silver. They won’t keep you alive if someone wants to kill you- in fact, they won’t do much to keep you from being stunned, but I’ve designed them to absorb the worst of malicious curses.” Remus blushed, glancing nervously at both of them before looking to Sirius for encouragement. “I, er, didn’t want something like this happening again if I could help it. You’re both one of us now, so I wanted to… protect you...I guess.”

“Remus, I don’t know what to say.” Regulus was touched. “Thank you. These are perfect.”

“You didn’t have to do that.” Lexi said quietly, fingering the delicate-looking chain. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Remus muttered. “I’ve gotta get to class.”

He leaned over to give Sirius a quick kiss before rushing out of the hospital wing without looking at either of them again.

“He has trouble showing his feelings,” Sirius watched his boyfriend leave with a fond expression. “But he means well.”

“He charmed these himself?” Regulus asked.

“Spent the past three days devoting every second of his spare time to it.” James took the chain out of Regulus’s hands and tied the clasp around his neck for him. 

“Really?” Lexi seemed surprised as she fastened her chain. “He spent three days on these?”

“He was insufferable. I feel very neglected.” Sirius pouted. “I suppose it was for a good cause, though.”

The final bell rang and Regulus looked at his brother and his boyfriend suspiciously. 

“Don’t you two need to get to class?”

“We have a free period.” James beamed. 

“And we figured you two are probably bored out of your minds down here, so we decided to spend it with you.” Sirius smirked.

“My heroes.” Lexi said dryly. 

“We do our best.” James shot back, climbing into Regulus’s bed and pulling him into his arms.

“So. What do you guys want to do?”


End file.
